When the Two Worlds Collide
by Yohina
Summary: What happens when five normal girls find themselves inside of Saiyuki? The girls fight, gain new powers, but that may not be enough to conquer their own fears and sins. Will they still be able to lead a normal life? What can they do....... Pls R
1. Prologue

I'm so sad that I have so few reviews even though it's already up to chapter 10, I guess it was my fault since I kind of uploaded five or six chapters in one day. I got kind of excited since it's my first fanfic, so please forgive me.  
  
I would love it if there were more reviews. If not, I'll have to slow down the updating, or the more chapters I have, the less reviews I seem to have, which I think, will make this story look bad, but I think this story deserves more than that, so please r&r. Anyway, I added something more in the front, so it's a little different in the prologue, or the prologue is just plain boring and has nothing to do with Saiyuki.  
  
When the Two Worlds Collide  
  
Prologue  
  
Wind, thunder, water, and ice formed together and wrapped itself around Gojyo's chains. Along with the chaing, they twisted around the demon like a typhoon and enveloped her. She wasn't scared. History was repeating itself, and she knew it. There were no regrets, but only hatred toward those that betrayed her.  
  
"Are you sure we are going to do this?" Hakkai asked with doubt. It was still so hard to believe.  
  
"It's the only way. She'll destroy everything. Even though it was our fault, we have to stop her." Vessica answered with tears in her eyes.  
  
The others around her nodded. The girls all had tears in their eyes, even Machi and Nuriko, at the destruction of their friends, but Sanzo, Gojyo, and Goku didn't show any expression. Yet, deep down, they were also hurting in some way.  
  
"Let's do this." Sanzo said and pulled out the round mirror that Yohina had given to everybody. Everyone else did the same. They stood in a circle around the demon and pointed the mirror at her. A light shot out of each mirror and wrapped around her. She screamed at the pain, but she didn't struggle. Everything was coming to an end. If only she had...  
  
"Goodbye..." She could hear her friends' whispers.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Another thought rang in her mind...  
  
"Goodbye..." She whispered and closed her eyes...  
  
Yohina's eyes jerked open even as the darkness surrounded her. "A dream..." She thought to herself, but so real. She felt the pain as if something was still wrapped around her. Yet, she shook that feeling away and looked out of the window. It was raining just like yesterday. She sighed as she went to the bathroom to wash herself. "What a great day for my 17th birthday?" She thought gloomily. The morning was cloudy and dark as if it was the evening. She wondered if anyone was going to come to the party as she cleaned and dressed herself for the day.  
  
Her parents had already left for work that morning. She remembered the argument she had with them last night. "They never cared about my birthday," she thought as tears swelled up in her eyes again. She looked into the mirror and saw that my eyes were still red from all the crying last night. "Hope no one notices." She thought miserably.  
  
No one would come until late in the afternoon so Yohina did most of her homework. After finishing everything, she saw that it was 4:00pm already. She could not believe that she just spent 5 hours doing homework on the day of her birthday. Then, the doorbell rang just as she stood up and stretches. "So they are starting to come already?" Yohina thought as a smile appeared on her face.  
  
As quickly as Yohina could, she rushed to the door happily. It was Machi and Nuriko. They were fighting at the doorway, as usual. "Stop fighting and get in!" Yohina had to scream to get their attention.  
  
Machi and Nuriko froze at their position, stared at Yohina, and then smiled nervously.  
  
"Come in! You are the first ones here!" Yohina said with a smile as she led the two of them into the house.  
  
After saying goodbye to their parents, the three of them settled down. Well, at least Yohina did. Machi and Nuriko started to punch each other again. "Well, I guess I can't blame them for their enthusiasm." Yohina thought as she sat down and watched TV and ignored the two idiots.  
  
Afterwards, the others started to arrive also. After Machi and Nuriko were Sakura and Vessica, then Takeya and Hikki arrived. The last was Shelly and Satsuki. Since Yohina had made it a sleep over party for today, most of the others would come to the party tomorrow.  
  
Soon, Yohina's parents returned and cooked a gigantic meal for the 9 of them. "Man! They will regret that they missed today's party!" Yohina said with a smile as they started eating.  
  
After dinner, Yohina's parents left the house to the girls again. "So how's things going with you guys? It's so not fun when we are not in the same school anymore." Yohina asked as they put in a movie that she had rented.  
  
"Well, first of all, we are making good grades in Bellaire." Sakura became the spoke person for the group. "And?" Machi kept on asking. "All of them got a boyfriend except for Sakura if you want to know more." Yohina said with a teasing smile.  
  
"Hey, what'd you mean? I don't have a boyfriend!" Vessica objected as her face turned red.  
  
"Oh, really? What about that guy that teaches you how to sword fight? He's really cute and he is in all of your classes in school as well. For my information, the two of you are really close and he cares about you a lot!" Satsuki said with a mysterious smile. The rest of the girls "awed!" at her sentence.  
  
Vessica blushed more as the others started to ask Satsuki what the guy was like. "I told you! HE IS NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" Vessica almost screamed when she couldn't take it anymore. However, the teasing didn't stop. Machi and Yohina kept on teasing them, even including Vessica in there no matter what she said about that guy. The rest of the girls blushed while Machi and Yohina teased them. "We are still the most innocent ones! From the beginning to the end!" Yohina said with pride. "Yeah! From the beginning to the end!" Machi and Sakura shouted out loudly after Yohina.  
  
Then they watched the movies and sometimes talked about their school life and other stuff. All of them had been friends since middle school. Actually, they had gone to the same middle school. Then, Yohina and Machi and Takeya moved to another city, which was only twenty minutes drive from one place to another, but they had to go to another high school so they were separated. The truth is that except for Machi and Yohina and Takeya, the rest of the six girls all went to Bellaire High. 


	2. The Necklaces

This is my first real fanfic. I know it's probably not really good, but please gave me a review on what you think about it. I got the idea when my friends motivated me to write since we all love Saiyuki so much and I'm the writer in the group. Well, hope ya enjoy.  
  
We'll meet all the characters in the next chapter, I think...  
One thing I just noticed, the story focuses too much on the girls instead of the real Saiyuki characters. I'll make that change, but it's only going to happen after chapter 12 or 13, so please bear it with me. Sorry...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Chapter One  
  
"So what do you guys want to watch now?" Yohina asked when they had finished two movies already. She started fumbling through her collection of movies. Her friends and she had seen most of it already. It was dark already and they were getting ready to go to sleep. Her parents had already came back and slept and left them alone. Yet, all of them were still wide awake thought it was 12:30 already and they still have to get up before the others arrive for the birthday party tomorrow morning. Then Takeya was beside Yohina and started looking at the Saiyuki collection.  
  
"I want to watch Saiyuki again." Takeya said with a childish smile. Saiyuki was an anime serie that Yohina had started to collect when she was fourteen. Just last year, she had bought the last one for the complete collection. She could say that Saiyuki was her favorite anime of all times. It was cool and funny even though the drawings weren't that good.  
  
All the others groaned with unhappiness and so did Yohina at Takeya idea. As much as I liked the anime, I had watched it over and over again at least 10 times already and it was getting kind of boring.  
  
"Come on. It's fun to watch! Besides, we don't have any other choices than this. Saiyuki is better and funnier than all the other movies!" Takeya encouraged them when she saw the unhappy look on their faces.  
  
Yohina sighed. "Fine! Let's watch it from the beginning then since some of you hadn't seen it yet." She said as she put the disc into the DVD player and looked at Hikki, Shelly, and Satsuki.  
  
As the movie started, Yohina rushed into her room and pulled a small box out of her drawer. She then entered the living room with a proud smile. "What are you so happy about?" Hikki asked suspiciously when she saw the smile on Yohina's face.  
  
"Remember that purple triangular necklace that Nuriko gave me last year at my birthday? She told me that it was one of a valuable collection that had been out of the market since we were born." Yohina reminded everyone as she held the box in her hand. The box was decorated with designs that none of them could read. It looked like some ancient description from some country. However, the box was glowing with golden light in the darkness and Yohina's eyes narrowed at the light.  
  
"Yeah? So what? And why do you look so worried and curious all of the sudden?" Hikki asked as she looked at Yohina. Now all the other girls had sat down in a circle beside Yohina and the box was in the middle of the nine girls.  
  
"It...it's just that it never glowed in the dark before." Yohina said as she ran her hand over the golden box.  
  
"Open it! Let us see it!" Shelly said with curiosity as they all looked at the glowing box and the others nodded with agreement.  
  
"Fine! Don't be so impatient." Yohina said as she pulled out a golden key from her pocket and opened the lock on the box.  
  
Slowly and carefully, Yohina opened it. When the box was opened, it glowed with white light. The light first illuminated the dark room and blinded the girls. When the light finally receded, the girls saw that inside the box were four necklaces with a triangle hanging in the middle of each necklace. The triangles on the necklaces were in place to form a star in the middle of the box. Each of the triangles was like a point of the star. The triangles were of different colors: light gray, light green, sky blue, and light pink. However, the top point of the star was missing so everyone assumed that the necklace Yohina had must be that one at the top. Also, the middle of the star was missing. It was a pentagon made out of foam rather than something special like the girls had hoped for.  
  
"They look cool!" Machi picked the blue one out of the box and examined it.  
  
All the others looked at her with a weird look. "What?" Machi asked. "Nothing." I just thought that you don't like jewelries." Nuriko said thoughtfully and the others nodded to agree.  
  
"I don't, but they really do look cool for some reason!" Machi said grumpily as she put the necklace back into the box where it was.  
  
"What's so cool about a necklace with a triangle? I would prefer a heart shaped decoration much better!" Takeya said carelessly with her arms folded. Hikki agreed with her instantly.  
  
"Then I guess you won't get one of it!" Yohina snorted at Takeya and Hikki's carelessly ways.  
  
"What do you mean by that?" Hikki asked annoyingly. She was the kind of person that hated being put in the darkness when everybody else knew about what was going on all the time.  
  
"Well, I thought that since we are all best friends with each other since three years ago, maybe we you guys should get one of those too as a friendship symbol that was shared by all of us. The problem is that I only have four here and there are eight of you." Yohina said sadly with a sigh as she looked down into the box.  
  
"I want one!" "I want one!" "I want one too!" Right after Yohina's explanation, everybody started shouting that they wanted one except for Shelly and Vessica since they were not very comparative people.  
  
Yohina smiled at everybody's enthusiasm. "I thought of an idea. It won't be that fair, but it'll have to do." Yohina said that once she made everybody calmed down.  
  
"What is it? Hurry up and tell us!" Machi asked as she stared at the necklace with the sky blue triangle with thirst. It seemed that someone already has her target.  
  
"You guys will have to grab for it. Whoever gets it first will get a necklace." Yohina explained as she looked at everyone. No one objected. "I'll count to three and when I say go, just grab for the necklace that you wanted. Don't worry! I'll have something else for those who won't get one. Also, no cheating, remember?" Yohina added the last sentence as she looked over to where Machi was sitting. Machi pulled back her hand and smiled nervously and with innocence at Yohina.  
  
"Now, one...two...three..." Yohina paused for about three seconds before she said the last word. "GO!" She shouted and looked at her friends who were trying to get the necklaces. Machi got the sky blue one just like she wished since she was the most vicious one in the group. Nuriko got the light green one that was reflecting the light from the TV. Then, Sakura got the light pink one. Yohina was quite surprised by that since Sakura never seemed to be able to beat the others at those physical activities.  
  
When Yohina looked again, there was one more necklace in the box still. She picked it up and 2looked at it. It was the necklace with the light gray triangle. "Don't any of you want this?" She asked as she held it out. It looked the same with all the other ones except the triangle was gray. She couldn't believe that her friends were being that picky, but then again, if she was the one, she probably wouldn't want it also. The triangle wasn't as shiny as all the others ones were. Rather, it looked dull and dusty.  
  
"Nope, I do not want that thing no matter how valuable it is." Takeya shook her head first. Machi, Sakura, and Nuriko didn't say anything since they got their necklaces already. They were too busy preaching and worshipping it. "I'll take it." Vessica finally shouted out when no one wanted it.  
  
Yohina smiled. She should've known. Vessica was always the person to take what the others didn't want. She's so kind. "Here, then it's yours." She said as she handed the necklace over to Vessica. Vessica took it over and looked at it. However, she did not worship and brag about it like the others did and put it around her neck almost immediately.  
  
"Man! It's over already?" Takeya complained when they turned to look at the TV and the first episode of Saiyuki was already over. Yohina felt sorry inside since the first episode was pretty funny and it explained what the story was about. "Well, it was just one episode." She thought as she sat down beside the others and started to watch TV.  
  
As the beginning song of the second episode started, Yohina was so irritated by Machi and Nuriko's continually preaching over the necklaces. They were trying to decide which one of theirs was better looking. Also, she didn't want to listen to the opening theme of Saiyuki either, but Takeya insisted that they do not fast-forward it because she wanted to listen to it so much.  
  
"WOULD YOU TWO JUST STOP IT? IT IS JUST A NECKLACE! IF YOU LIKE IT SO MUCH, THEN GO HOME AND WORSHIP IT! DON'T DO IT HERE! IT'S ANNOYING!" Yohina finally exploded when she couldn't take it anymore. Her eyes were flaring with anger and irritation that her words made Machi and Nuriko to hug each other.  
  
"Come on, Yohina! We are sorry, but let us see your necklace. I want to see what is different about all the necklaces." Machi pleaded with an innocent looked she always bore when she was trying to get someone to do a favor for her.  
  
Yohina sighed. "If you promise to shut up about it afterwards, fine." She said as she took down the necklace she was wearing.  
  
It was exactly the same with Nuriko and Machi's necklaces except it was purple. The shape and size matches exactly. However, Machi went to the sofa and turned on the lamp beside it and examined the necklaces closed. Seconds later, she smiled.  
  
"Looks like I found a difference." She said with pride as she strode over to where all the other girls were sitting at on the floor.  
  
"What?" Yohina asked curiously all of the sudden.  
  
"Give me your necklaces!" Machi said as she pointed at Sakura and Vessica also. The other girls weren't listening to them since it was none of their business. They were all attracted to the TV since the second episode had just started.  
  
Vessica and Sakura did as they were told and took out their necklaces. Now, the five of them sat in a circle with each of their necklace in hand and looked at Machi. "So what's the big difference?" Yohina asked as she looked around at the other necklaces in her friends' hands.  
  
However, before Machi could speak, the triangle on Yohina's necklace started to glow with purple light. At first, the glow was small like a firefly and it started to get brighter and brighter. The second after Yohina's necklace started to glow, the triangle on Machi's necklace started to glow with blue. It continued on with Sakura, Nuriko, and then Vessica's necklaces. A minute later, all of the triangles on the necklaces were glowing with blinding light. However, it seemed that only the five of them could see the light since the others were still watching the TV as if nothing was happening. Then, suddenly, one of the points on each of the triangles fired a beam of light into the middle of the circle. When the five different colored lights met, the beam exploded into a blinding white light that trapped the girls in whiteness. All of the girls could hear their friends' scream around them, but they couldn't see anything except for the whiteness around them. 


	3. The Girls Meets the Heroes

Sorry about the long chapters, but when I first wrote it, it was strictly for entertainment. I didn't think I would post it on the Internet, so please forgive me.  
  
Anyway, the first part of the story goes with the whole Saiyuki, but since I only watched 14 eps, I'm going to make up my own plot in the rest, but that'll be a long way off.  
  
As for Yohina, I love that name somehow, so I used it.  
  
Please don't take me as the main character too seriously, but I do hope so...someday...  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Yohina moaned as she opened her eyes. At first, she had no idea what had happened and just stared blankly at everything around her. Then she suddenly remembered the great white light that had consumed her and her friends together. Quickly, she got to her feet as she shook away the headache and looked around. She was in a forest of some kind. The sunlight was coming through the thick trees. Even though it was kind of bright, nothing seemed too bright to for anymore ever since that white light. She had definitely thought that she was going blind.  
  
Then, she noticed that she was alone. None of her friends were with her. She started to feel weird. Where are the others? What happened to them? Different thoughts entered her mind as she started walking aimlessly.  
  
Suddenly, Yohina tripped on something and fell down. She groaned painfully as she sat up from her fall. "What the hell...?" She didn't get to finish her sentence as she saw that the "thing" that had tripped her was Vessica.  
  
"Ves! Ves, wake up?" Yohina climbed to where Vessica laid and tried to wake up her friend.  
  
Vessica stirred with a groan and then her eyes opened slowly. At first, Vessica looked at Yohina as if she didn't know her. Then, she seemed to realize what had happened and sat up in a bolt.  
  
"What happened? Where are the others?" She asked as the two of them stood up from the ground and looked around once again.  
  
Then, Vessica turned to look at Yohina as if she just noticed something. "What happened to you?" She asked in a weird tone as if something did happen to Yohina.  
  
"What?" Yohina asked as she looked down at herself and then gasped. "Yeah! What happened to me?" She asked again once she realized what Ves meant. She was dressed totally different from when she was back home. She was dress in her pajamas when they were watching TV, but now, she had a pair of white colored high-heeled boots with the sides pulled up about three inches above her knees. Also instead of her pajama pants, she now wore a pair of really short shorts. She was also wearing a sleeveless jacket with a tight shirt with sleeves inside of the jacket that was just long enough to cover her bellybutton. Beside all that, her purple hair, which was usually put down because she was too lazy to tie them up, was tied back into a long braid with the end at her waist. It was easy to tell that she hadn't done it herself since she never ties her hair into a braid.  
  
Yohina looked up in terror and was even in more shock to see that almost the same thing happened to Vessica. She pointed at her without knowing what to say. Vessica looked down at herself and realized what Yohina was pointing at. She was wearing a sleeveless blue blouse so short that her bellybutton showed. Instead of Yohina's shorts, she wore a tight skirt that was about three inches up her knees. She had black panty hose on with her high-heeled black boots that was about three inches beneath her knees. Also, her usual heart earrings were replaced with yellow star shaped earrings. Other than that, her black hair, which was about six inches down her shoulder, was tied up high into a ponytail with two strands of loose hair hanging down in the front.  
  
"You've got to be kidding me!" Vessica said as she tried to pull her blouse down more so her bellybutton won't show, which was impossible.  
  
"You know, that blouse suits you a lot, especially your hazel eyes!" Yohina teased with a smile.  
  
Vessica turned to look at her. "If you say that one more time, you'll pay, Yohina. I don't give a damn that it is your birthday today!" She said with anger.  
  
However, before Yohina could say anything more, four dark shadows jumped out of the bushes around them. All four of them had dark and savage figure with pointy years like that of an elf's. Also, they looked disgusting with their purple tongue hanging out of their mouths and it was hard to tell which one of them was female and which one of them was male.  
  
"They look tasty." One of the demons with dirty green hair said as he licked his lips with his purple tongue.  
  
"Ew..." Both Yohina and Vessica said with the same time as they covered their noses. "Do they have to smell so bad when they are already look so disgusting?" Vessica whispered to Yohina. However, Yohina was too busy trying to figure out where on Earth they were.  
  
"They don't look so tough. Maybe we'll finally get some dinner out of them." Another one said with a thick voice as he held out his spear and pointed at Yohina and Vessica. The other demons smiled wickedly. "Let's get them then!" The green hair dude said as he rushed toward Yohina and Vessica with a small sword in hand. The others did the same thing.  
  
"What are they doing?" Yohina screamed as she moved out of a spear and fell on the ground.  
  
"Geez! What do they look like they are doing?" Vessica said as she drew out a samurai sword out of nowhere and blocked the sword of the green hair dude.  
  
Yohina just froze there without knowing what to do. All the attackers seemed to be attracted to Vessica for some reason.  
  
Vessica did her best to block off all of the weird dudes' attacks. She had learned the skills on a samurai sword when she was about six. She might not master all of them yet, but she could hold off them for sometime for her and Yohina to escape.  
  
"Hurry up and run, Yohina!" Vessica said as she made a horizontal slash across the green hair dude's chest and turned to look at where Yohina was. However, Yohina was missing. The place where she had fell down was empty.  
  
"I'm already on my way! Good luck with all of them, Vessica! See ya later!" Vessica heard Yohina shouting at her and she looked. Her mouth dropped. Yohina was already a good distance away from her and she didn't seem to stop as she shouted back at her. "Hey! You come back here!" Vessica screamed, but Yohina had already disappeared.  
  
"What a great friend!" Vessica thought gloomily. Just when she was about to yell for Yohina, she felt a sense of wind behind her and dodged away from where she was standing before as her sword came out like lightning and slashed at where she was just a second before. Blood splattered over her. "Ew...disgusting..." She complained as she felt the blood got all sticky on her body.  
  
Vessica then turned to look behind her and saw that about twenty others had joined up with the four before. They looked pretty angry from the way they smelled and smirked. "I better get out of here!" Vessica thought and sprinted after Yohina. "Wait for me! Pal!" She screamed as loud as she could as she heard the screams of the chasers behind her.  
  
Soon, about five minutes later, just when Vessica thought she couldn't ran anymore, Yohina's back came into sight. However, she was not running. She was just standing there and looking down at something. "Why isn't she running?" She thought as she looked back at the herds of chasers behind her. They were closing on her as she got closer to Yohina. "Hurry up and ran, Yohina! They are right behind me!" Vessica shouted as if Yohina could hear her.  
  
However, Vessica didn't even notice how close she was to Yohina when she shouted out those words. She was two steps away from Yohina when she shouted those words. Yohina turned her head instantly and before the word "No!" could get out of her mouth, Vessica had bumped into her. The two of them stumbled and fell down. Then Vessica realized that the reason Yohina wasn't running as she screamed. It was because she was standing on a cliff. Then, she heard Yohina's scream right beside her. "Serves her right for leaving me alone!" She thought as she folded her arm and her falling position turned into a sitting position in the air.  
  
"I know what you are thinking, Vessica! But you are not going to get out of this situation this easy also!" Yohina said as she folded her arms also and her falling position turned into a sitting position in the air.  
  
"What about it? At least I didn't leave my friend when she was in need!" Vessica argued as they continued to fall toward the ground.  
  
"Hey! You told me to get away! Besides, no one asked you to help! I could've just taken all of down by myself!" Yohina said with sarcasm.  
  
"Oh really? I would love to see that!" Vessica said as she rolled her eyes.  
  
"You don't believe it? I'll take you on right now!" Yohina held out her fists and punched at Vessica. Then, Vessica's sword came out of nowhere and they two of them started fighting, in the air.  
* * * *  
Sanzo, Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku were continuing on their journey toward west to India. The four old "friends" had just joined up together two days ago after sensing the disturbance in the peaceful world of Shangri- La. The demons and humans were living in peace like brothers until the disturbance came. Now demons took off their own power limiters and terrorize the humans. The four friends had set out to India, where all of this started, to return everything to the way it was. However...  
  
"Man, this one's hot!" Gojyo said as he squeezed the can of beer that he had just finished. Then he turned to Goku, who was sitting on the other side of the jeep, and said, "Goku, get me another one, will you?"  
  
"Get your own, you lazy ass." Goku said carelessly.  
  
Gojyo was then pissed off. He and Goku never got along. They fight all the time no matter where they were. "You are going to get me another one or I'm going to stick this can up your ass!" Gojyo said as he stood up in the jeep.  
  
"Oh, really..." Goku stood up too and sparks appeared between the two of them.  
  
Anger appeared on Sanzo's face, who was sitting in the front seat beside Hakkai, the driver. "Your little unwanted love affair is starting to get on my nerves! Get a room!" Sanzo screamed with his teeth bare.  
  
Gojyo and Goku stopped, turned to look at Sanzo, and blinked twice with surprise and question. Hakkai smiled. However, before he could say anything, three shadows fell upon them. The four of them looked up and saw three figures appear in the sky and then, before they could move, the figures fell on top of them. Two of them fell on top of Gojyo and the other one fell on Goku.  
  
Sakura shook her head and wished that the headache would just go away. Ever since the white light consumed Machi, Nuriko, Vessica, Yohina, and her, the headache hadn't stopped and now it is getting worse. Then she felt something soft beneath her and looked down. A familiar faced stared up to her and she jumped up instantly. "Nuriko!" She shouted out before she could stop herself.  
  
Nuriko sat up painfully. Sakura seemed to have done a lot of damage to her. She couldn't feel her feet or back. "Where are we?" She asked as she scratched her head. "Aww that hurts!" Machi's voice came behind them.  
  
Both Nuriko and Sakura looked back and saw Machi. However, when they saw her, they gasped. Machi was wearing different clothes rather than her pajamas. Her hair was tied back into two braids, which was kind of funny. She was wearing a tight black tee shirt and a pair of flare khakis. Her triangle necklace was hanging around her neck and on each of her wrist was a bracelet of some sort.  
  
"Uh...do you mind, but who are you?" Another voice appeared beneath the girls. It was an annoyed voice. From the sound of it, they also knew that it was guy who had said those words.  
  
Slowly and carefully, the three of them looked down and then noticed that they were on top of two persons. However, they knew them. They were the characters from the anime Saiyuki and Yohina owned. But why are the three of them on top of those characters?  
  
"If you don't mind, move away! You are so heavy!" The guy that the three of them knew as Goku shouted as he pushed Machi away from him. Then the three girls noticed that they were in Hakkai's jeep.  
  
"What happened?" Nuriko asked 10 minutes later when they finally got things sorted out with Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku.  
  
"I don't know. All I remember is that a great white light surrounded us when the five of our necklaces were placed together. Where are Yohina and Vessica anyway?" Machi answered with an irritated voice as she looked around. She didn't seem to notice that her clothes had changed for some reason, or if she had, she didn't seem to mind.  
  
"It seems that we are in the world of Saiyuki. Maybe we got sucked into the TV. Maybe these necklaces were cursed or something. That was why they were out of the market that soon. Also, I think Vessica and Yohina would be fine. Vessica can wield that katana of hers pretty good and I'm sure Yohina wouldn't crack open that easily either..." Sakura started to explain everything and dividing everything up like the way she solved everything. She soon lost Machi and Nuriko. The two of them both had question marks on their head.  
  
"SHUT UP, SAKURA! THIS ISN'T THE TIME FOR YOU TO BLAH BLAH BLAH BLHA AND BLAH ON!!!" Nuriko and Machi screamed together when they thought that their mind would explode. However, Sakura didn't seem to hear them and continued on blabbering about their situation. Nuriko and Machi fainted.  
  
"Excuse us, but we still don't know who you guys are. Also, we are on a very urgent journey, so if you don't mind, we'll have to leave now!" Hakkai interfered when Nuriko and Machi had finally stopped Sakura from blabbering.  
  
"Wait! We'll need to go with you for now! We don't know where we are and what happened! We are really confused. Because you see, we were at a birthday party when this great light..." Sakura didn't get to finish her sentence when Nuriko and Machi stopped her.  
  
"I'm sorry, but our friend is kind of confused right now! She's kind of...you know...psycho." Nuriko said as Machi held off Sakura from screaming out more of their secrets. "Uh...OK...but we still can't just stay here." Gojyo said with a shrug.  
  
"Of course not! We were just kind of lost. That was all. We would like if you guys could take us to the nearest town." Machi said with a nervous smile.  
  
It was obvious that the Sanzo party didn't believe them. No one would. Why would someone be lost when they just appear in the sky and drop on top of you? There must be something that the three girls were hiding. Everyone in the Sanzo party knew that, but they didn't bother to bring out. Besides, they would arrive at the nearest town at sunset probably, so there wouldn't be any problem in dropping the girls over there.  
  
"Fine! Get in the jeep. But I don't think it will fit all of us though!" Hakkai said with an apologizing smile.  
  
"Well, Goku and Gojyo can sit on the back trunk of the car since they are so tough. The three girls will sit at the back." Sanzo dismissed the problem with a thought.  
  
"Hey! Why do we have to sit on the trunk? What if we fall?" Gojyo and Goku objected instantly.  
  
"You guys are sitting at the back because they are girls! Also because I said so! Now either sit there or ran after us!" Sanzo said with anger as a white fan appeared in his hand and he whacked Gojyo and Goku with it.  
  
"Fine! Fine! We'll sit on the trunk! Geez!" Gojyo and Goku said together.  
  
Machi, Nuriko, and Sakura smiled as they jumped into the car.  
  
Three hours later, all of them got out of the jeep to rest. Three hours had tired the girls a lot and Gojyo and Goku had each fell down onto the road at least four times already.  
  
"I don't care if they are girls! I am sitting in the car this time! Not on the car!" Gojyo said with anger as he pointed at Machi, Nuriko, and Sakura.  
  
"Just calm down, Gojyo. I'm sure we can work this out." Hakkai said with a smile. The girls didn't say anything. They thought they heard something above them. Since they were parked under a cliff, they knew that anything could happen. They just hope that there won't be a boulder slamming down at them.  
  
Nuriko was playing with Hakkai's pet dragon, Hakuryu, who could turn into a jeep for easy transportation while the others laid out the lunch. It was high noon and that was another reason they took the risk and stayed under the cliff because that was the only thing that could protect them against the sun right above their heads.  
  
However, just as all of them finally sat down peacefully to eat, they heard loud noises from above them. All of them looked up in curiosity except for Goku, who was too busy stealing after other people's lunch since he had already ate all of his own share.  
  
Nuriko, Machi, and Sakura's eyes turned wide as they saw Yohina and Vessica falling down at them. Yet, they weren't screaming or scared at all. Rather...they were...fighting as if they wanted to kill each other.  
  
Before any of them could move anything, Vessica and Yohina landed on their lunch and of course, on Goku. "Get away from me, you selfish little..." Vessica shouted at Yohina with her samurai sword in hand. She seemed to be pretty angry and all the others were sure that the two of them didn't notice that they had finally reached solid ground after such a long fall.  
  
"Ahhhh! MY LUNCH!" A cry came from below where Vessica and Yohina stood and the two of them looked down and saw Goku crying with anger. "Why you!" He shot up from the ground with his weapon in hand. It was a red staff that was about as tall as Goku. Yet, Vessica and Yohina knew that the staff could become bigger and smaller according to Goku's will. What confused them was that why are they seeing the characters from Saiyuki? 


	4. The First Fight

Even though I'm a fan for Saiyuki, I don't really know that much, but my favorite charac. Is Kougaiji. I think he's cool and a pretty nice guy.  
  
Enjoy the chapter and please give me a review. It is very important that I know what everybody thinks about the story so I could improve it.  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter Three  
  
"I don't get it! Why are we inside of the anime?" Vessica asked as the five girls sat down beside a table that night. Somehow, after Yohina and Vessica fell onto the Sanzo party just like Nuriko, Sakura, and Machi did, they were able to make the Sanzo party take them into the nearest town. Now that they had settled down in the diner, they were finally able to discuss about what had happened peacefully as they ignored Gojyo and Goku's fighting noise.  
  
"I don't know either, but you bet it is kind of fun. Besides, I like my outfit." Nuriko said with a smile. The others looked at her with a sigh. Yohina was like whatever, but Nuriko was right. Each of them does like their own outfit after coming into this world.  
  
Nuriko's was a white spaghetti straps with a pair of gloves. However, her gloves didn't cover her hands at all. They covered her arms and the back of her hand. It was kind of cool. Her necklace was hanging down her front just like Machi's. Also, she was wearing tight flare jeans with a pair of tennis shoes. Her short brown hair was just like before, uneven but gave her a little punk girl looking. Her two small earrings changed from white to green.  
  
For Sakura, her clothes were more sophisticated. She had her glasses still. Her golden shoulder length hair was put down loosely. Her ears were hidden behind her hair, but if it weren't, her golden pair of moon earrings would be very obvious. Inside her long brown sleeveless coat, she wore spaghetti straps just like Nuriko's except it was golden like her hair. Besides that, she wore a pair of really short shorts just like Yohina with yellow pantyhose and a pair of tennis shoes.  
  
"But I really want to know why we are in the anime. I mean, it is kind of cool and all, but what would we do when it comes to fighting. I mean, you guys are all great, but Sakura and I just sucks." Yohina complained as she took a sip of her drink. Sakura nodded at her comment even though she didn't want to agree to that.  
  
Before anyone else could answer, Hakkai spoke. "If you don't mind, but could you tell us what is going on? We did everything and we are still confused." He asked with a smile.  
  
The girls looked at each other and then they all looked at Yohina. Yohina sighed and knew that the others wanted her to talk since she's the best at explaining things before she gets too carried away.  
  
"OK. Don't doubt me because everything I say is the truth about us. It will sound really weird because we don't know what happened either, but I'll just say what I know." Yohina said as Goku and Gojyo stopped fighting over the piece of chicken and Sanzo joined to listen also.  
  
Then, Yohina explained everything that they knew to them. If she ever missed out on anything, the others added in for her. "So that's the whole story. We got sucked in when all the necklaces were gathered together. It kind of sucks since today is my 17th birthday." Yohina ended her explanation with a shrug.  
  
"Wow, that's some story, but what do you want us to do about it! Since you know what we are doing, you can't expect us to take you with us." Gojyo said as he sipped tea.  
  
"Actually, that was what we were planning. We hope that we could go with you on your journey until we can figure this out. We won't need your protection. We can protect ourselves." Yohina added when she saw the looks on the faces of the Sanzo party.  
  
"I'm not really sure about this, guys." Gojyo said as he looked at the five girls. "But they do look pretty good to me." He added and the others collapsed at his thoughts even at this time.  
  
"Fine! We'll take you guys with us. I don't know why I'm doing this, but if you cause us any trouble, you are on your own, strangers or not." Sanzo said as he folded his arms. He didn't seem to mind the girls' company at all. Rather than looking at the girls' exciting faces, he turned to the hotel manager.  
  
"So, how's the demonic act here?" He asked seriously.  
  
"What's to tell? They are scums, always were. One day they showed their true color, killed ten people in our town and then disappeared." The hotel manager answered with disgust.  
  
"So they change, then just ran away. It's like a gathering of some kind. Somebody calls them and they leave." Sanzo thought.  
  
"Demons are disgusting!" A cry broke through Sanzo's thoughts and everybody else's. Everybody turned to look at her. Homei was holding her serving plate close to her as she talked. They could see tears and hatred in her eyes.  
  
"They are disgusting! They should all die!" Homei shouted and then ran away despite her father's shout for her to come back.  
  
"I'm sorry. One of those killed was a dear friend of hers." The innkeeper (Homei's father) said with sadness as Homei disappeared into the kitchen.  
* * * *  
"The demons kill and the survivors weep. The humans get confused and blame on the demons. If they only know what the cause is..." Hakkai said later that night when they were alone.  
  
"What'd you expect? They are humans! They are just a bunch of judgmental ass-holes." Gojyo said carelessly.  
  
"Now that's really nice! How'd you know we are all judgmental ass- holes?" Vessica intervened unhappily. The others nodded except for Yohina. She had been acting weird ever since after dinner. She was standing beside the window and looking out into the sky. The expression in her eyes showed that she was deep in thoughts.  
  
"Yohina! Are you OK?" Sakura asked as she put her hand on Yohina's shoulder. Yohina jerked suddenly and pushed her away. "Don't touch me!" She shouted.  
  
All the others were surprised at her reaction. When Yohina noticed the others looking at her, she smiled nervously and also apologetically. "I'm sorry. I was just thinking about what must be happening in our world now." Yohina said with a sad smile.  
  
"Don't worry about it, Yohina. I'm sure everything is fine." Machi said as she tried to sound reassurance.  
  
"Anyway, where's monkey-head?" Gojyo asked as he changed the subject. He didn't like Sanzo's idea of taking the girls on the journey with them at all. That was why he kept giving the five girls a hard time that night.  
  
"Over there. He's splitting firewood for the poor girl." Yohina pointed out of the window.  
  
Yohina was right. Outside, downstairs, Goku just finished splitting the last of the firewood for Homei. He didn't seem tired at all. Then, after that, he seemed to be talking to Homei about something. Goku looked up to Sanzo and the others with a sad look in his eyes but still, no one could hear what they were talking about.  
  
The five girls chose to stay in one room that night even though Homei and her father had vacancies. They left to bed before Sanzo and the others because they knew exactly what was going to happen later since they had watched the show so many times already. What they were worrying about was what was going to happen to the show if they were there.  
  
"You are worried, aren't you, Yohina?" Vessica asked when everyone else had gone to sleep.  
  
"Worried? I guess you can say that. I can't believe that this is all turning out this weird. I suppose it is quite a surprise for me if anyone wanted to give me this birthday present." Yohina smiled carelessly as she sat up on her bed and then out of bed.  
  
"I wonder when are they going to start!" Vessica changed the subject abruptly.  
  
Yet, before Yohina could reply, they heard a loud sound coming from the room beside their own and immediately knew that it had started. Nuriko, Sakura, and Machi stirred in their sleep while Vessica and Yohina left them alone and went to the other rooms immediately.  
  
When the two of them arrived beside Goku's room, Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku was just about to check on them. Vessica blushed when Hakkai asked if they were all right and where were the other three girls. Yohina said that they were still asleep and they don't need to worry about Nuriko and the others. They can take care of themselves even in this dangerous world.  
  
Then, the five of them headed for Sanzo's room. Vessica and Yohina weren't in such a hurry as Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku since they knew that Sanzo was going to be fine when they get there. However, they did not complain about all the rushing.  
  
Just as they open the door, they saw that the spider lady was just raising her hand to kill Sanzo. Gojyo pulled out his staff with the crescent blade on top and swung it. The crescent blade left the top of the staff as the chains were reviewed. Everything was going according to it was in the anime. It was as if Vessica and Yohina weren't even there.  
  
"Surrender to me or I'll cut her head off!" The spider lazy said angrily as she stood before the Sanzo party, Vessica, and Yohina. She was holding the unconscious Homei as she said those words.  
  
Yohina looked and saw that Hakkai had disappeared. When he reappeared again, he was beside the spider lazy. "Is that a challenge?" He asked that with the same smile he always had when he took Homei away from the spider woman and got back to where he was in a second.  
  
"Go get them!" The spider woman ordered as several demons appeared beside her.  
  
The demons charged toward the Sanzo party and just at that time, Nuriko, Machi, and Sakura rushed into the room. One of the demons was before Nuriko before she knew what was happening. "Nuriko! Look out!" Yohina screamed as pushed Nuriko out of the way. However, when she looked, the sharp claw of the demon was right above her face. She screamed and felt herself raising her hand trying to push the demon away. She didn't see it, but instantly after she screamed, a gigantic fire engulfed the demon and burned him into ashes.  
  
The other girls were dumbfounded by what they had seen. None of the Sanzo party had seen it since they were too busy trying to fight off other demons. "What? What was that?" Vessica heard herself muttering as she stared at Yohina. Yet, Yohina just stared back at them without knowing what they were talking about at all.  
  
"I'll kill you al..." Before the spider lady could even finish her sentence, Sanzo's punch had landed on her face. "I don't think you'll be able to do that, lady!" Sanzo said angrily.  
  
"Oh really? I'm just getting started!" The lady said with an evil smile as her skin darkened and her whole body started to transform.  
  
The girls heard the Sanzo party's complaint on the ugliness. Then, Homei woke up. Everything went just according to the anime. Homei's father used Sanzo's banishing gun to shoot the spider and then Homei found out that Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo were demons. At last, Goku and Gojyo held off the spider while Sanzo cast a spell to hold the spider at bay. Then, everything was just over. Nuriko, Yohina, Vessica, Machi, and Sakura felt like as if they were still watching the TV from where they stood because nothing had changed except that Yohina almost got killed and some fire had saved her when she screamed.  
  
As the Sanzo party turned to ask if the five girls were OK, Yohina felt her own purple necklace glowing. She looked at her friends and saw that their necklaces were glowing just like her own. "This won't be good." She thought miserably at first.  
  
"Hey! What's happening?" The girls heard Hakkai and Goku's shouts when they were covered again in white lights. The ground beneath them started to swirl and every one of them felt the sick feeling in the stomach as if they were going to throw up from the dizziness. Once again, they were trapped within the whiteness that had escorted them into the TV just hours before. 


	5. Returning to Saiyuki

Some people might ask me why is it chapter four already after only 1 day? Well, it's because I wrote all of this a long time ago. I just didn't post it. Take your time reading it. I have it up to C. 9, and that is not even near the middle of the story.  
  
When I first planned this, I never hoped it would be so long, but oh well, I started it, so I'll finish it, someday...  
Please give me a review after you read it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would love to know what everybody thinks about my writing.  
* * * * * *  
  
Chapter Four  
  
When Yohina opened her eyes about a long time later, she was in her living room again. Nuriko, Machi, Sakura, and Vessica were all lying beside her and the others were peacefully asleep around them. For some reason, they had decided to all sleep in the big living room of her house so that was why it was like that.  
  
Sunlight hit Yohina's eyes when she looked out the high window of her living room. There was no curtain there because it was too high and it was an oval shape. "It's daylight already?" She thought as she looked at the clock and saw that it was ten to eleven. She jumped up to her feet quickly as all the sleep in her went away.  
  
"Wake up! Wake up all of you!" Yohina shouted as she tried to wake up all of the girls that were still sleeping on the ground.  
  
The doorbell rang as all of the girls scrambled up from the ground. They were late. The party was going to start at twelve and the first other guests were suppose to arrive at about 11 or something like that. Yohina wondered why hadn't her parents wake them up and then remembered that her parents had gone to work even on a Sunday and were going to return at about 12:30 to cook for all of them.  
  
"You all separate and go to both of the bathrooms to clean up! I'll go and see who it is!" Yohina ordered her friends around as her thoughts lingered on what had happened last night.  
  
"Yohina..." Vessica shouted at her and gave her a hinting look when Yohina looked at her.  
  
"We'll talk about it later, Ves! Now is not the time!" Yohina said as she rushed to the door.  
  
The first guest was Nuriko's boyfriend, Jason and his younger brother Tyler. Jason was one year older than Yohina and the others and was a senior. His brown hair was dyed to the blond that it is now. His blue eyes were always so bright. Tyler had the blond hair that he was born with and he had the same blue eyes as his brother. Both of them were in Yohina's school even though Jason was going out with Nuriko. They had met at one of Yohina's end of school year party and then started dating.  
  
"Hey, how are you?" Tyler asked with a smile.  
  
"I'm fine. I'm glad that you guys can make it. I thought you said that yo guys had somewhere else to go today." Yohina said as the brothers walked in and she closed the door behind them.  
  
"Yeah, but Jason canceled it when he heard that his girlfriend is going to be here." Tyler whispered when Jason wasn't listening. Yohina just giggled as she saw how happy Jason was when he saw Nuriko. Since the two of them weren't in the same school, they can only meet once a week. Also, Jason is a senior this year so he has a lot to do and the couple hadn't even met for at least a month.  
  
"Guess we surprised you guys." Tyler said when he looked and saw that the beds were still unmade and everyone was still washing up and changing.  
  
"Yeah! We slept late last night and when I woke up, it was 11 already and then you guys just rang the bell when I finally woke all of them up." Yohina said as she made the bed and put everything away so they will have enough place to sit.  
  
"Who else is coming?" Jason asked as he sat down on the sofa with Nuriko beside him. Yohina smiled at how close the two of them were even though they hardly get to see each other anymore. Also, Jason will soon be gone to college. She wondered what Nuriko would do.  
  
"Well, I think Lucy and also Hikki, Takeya, and Satsuki's boyfriends." Yohina said thoughtfully as she tried to include everybody.  
  
"That's a lot of people if you ask me. I didn't think you would invite other people's boyfriends when you don't have one yourself." Tyler teased with sarcasm.  
  
"What's that suppose to mean? I just thought it would only make the party more enjoyable when there are more people. Besides, why do you care if I have a boyfriend or not? It's none of your business." Yohina said as she left everyone in the living room and went to the kitchen to get drinks for her friends.  
  
The bell rang at about 12 again. By that time, almost everyone was there except for Lucy and Takeya's boyfriend. Both Lucy and Takeya's boyfriend, Kevin, are in the same school as Yohina, Takeya, and Machi, which is Pearland High.  
  
Yohina rushed to get to the door and when she opened it, she saw that it was Kevin and Lucy. Kevin's convertible was parked in front of Yohina's house. He was also a senior like Jason in Pearland High School. He has brown hair and light gray eyes that never hide what he is thinking about. He is the school's star basketball player so he was the tallest out of all of them. Overall, Yohina guessed that Kevin is kind of cute compared to a lot of other boys. Yohina had no idea how did Takeya hook up with him. At first, she didn't like Takeya's choice at all because Kevin was the top school bully along with his friend, Kyle, who is also a star basketball player. Yet, when she talked to him for Takeya's sake, she found out that he's not so mean after all even though he acted like that all the time.  
  
"Why did you two come together?" Takeya rushed to the door and asked suspiciously when she saw Kevin and Lucy outside the door.  
  
"Well, since I live two houses away from her, I just picked her up when she told me that she didn't have a ride Friday night." Kevin answered with a cute smile.  
  
Yet, before anyone else could say anything else, another car pulled up at Yohina's house's driveway. Yohina looked at it with confusion as someone she didn't know walked out of the car with a banquet of yellow roses in hand. By that time, Kevin and Lucy had already entered the house. Everyone rushed to the door to see whom the strange guy was.  
  
Only when the guy walked up close could Yohina see that he was only a delivery-man from one of the flower shops near their high school. "What do you want?" Yohina asked as she looked at the banquet of yellow roses. Roses were her favorite flowers and yellow roses meant forever love as she had read on some book before.  
  
"Are you Yohina Zabraski?" The delivery-man asked when he stopped in front of the doorway with the banquet of roses in hand. He looked down at a writing pad he was holding also as if to check if he had gotten to the right home or not.  
  
"Yes, I'm Yohina Zabraski." Yohina answered still with curiosity.  
  
"Could you sign this? Someone called up to pay for a banquet of 17 yellow roses to send to you for your birthday! There is no card though!" The delivery-man said.  
  
All of Yohina's friends gasped. They looked at Yohina, who still had a curious look on her face. "Who ordered it?" She asked.  
  
"Don't know. The person didn't leave a name because he paid in cash." The man answered with an annoyed look.  
  
Then, Yohina took the banquet of roses as the delivery-man handed them to her. When the delivery-man left, her friends started teasing her about it.  
  
"So who is this secret lover of yours?"  
  
"Aren't you going to tell us?"  
  
"Come on, Yohina!"  
  
"Yeah! You already know all of our secrets!" Her friends shouted as the all walked into the living room again.  
  
"I don't know who it is, OK? Stop asking me!" Yohina almost screamed. She was so relieved when her friends had shut up.  
  
The rest of the day went by quickly. They watched TV and talked about other things that they were interested in. There were still some discussions of the roses, but Yohina dismissed the subject as quickly as she could. Yohina's parents came back at about 4 in the afternoon, by that time, all of them were famished. They brought out the cake and Yohina made a wish. Since it was Sunday and they all have school tomorrow, some of them started leaving at 6 or 7. At about 7:30, there were only Vessica, Nuriko, Sakura, and Machi left.  
  
"So what do you think?" Yohina asked as she finally sat down with a tired look.  
  
"About what?" Machi asked with the same clueless stupidity that she always possessed to annoy other people.  
  
"About what happened last night, duh!" Yohina shouted. She was tired and frustrated. She wasn't in the mood for Machi's idiocy.  
  
"I don't really know. I think it has to do with these necklaces. Anyway, I don't think we should wear it anymore." Vessica said as she held out her gray necklace.  
  
"Oh really? I think it was just something stupid. I mean, it's cool, OK? We got into the world of Saiyuki! Some people would beg to have to luck that we have at that time!" Nuriko argued with a smile.  
  
Yohina didn't say anything. She wasn't sure that Nuriko was wrong, but she wasn't sure that she was totally right either.  
* * * *  
Two weeks passed quicker that Yohina had anticipated. Everything went by as if it only lasted one second. Yohina had stopped thinking about what happened on her birthday and her concentration was back on her schoolwork again.  
  
It was another Saturday with rains. For some reason, as Yohina brushed her hair in the morning, she suddenly remembered something that Sanzo's mentor had said about the rain. "Rain is the bringer of life, but when it continues like this, it's very dispiriting."  
  
Yohina took out the light purple necklace that she had put away during the two weeks since she was too busy and she didn't want anything to happen if what happened last time did connect to the necklace.  
  
That Saturday, Yohina was bored so she turned on the TV and watched Saiyuki again. Yet, this time, she started from the fifth disk instead of the first one. That was one of her favorite ones. As the disk started, Yohina laid down her homework in front of her and started doing her homework while she was watching TV.  
  
She didn't know how long had passed when the purple necklace she was wearing started to glow again. At first, she didn't notice it because it was just a small glow and she was concentrating really hard to figure out a problem in her homework. When Yohina finally felt the glow from the necklace, it was too late. Things around her started to swirl like before and soon she was consumed in whiteness again. "Damn!" That was Yohina's last thought before she lost consciousness.  
* * * *  
The doorbell rang as Sakura rushed out for the door. She had been waiting for them. As she opened the door, she saw that as usual, Machi and Nuriko was fighting while Vessica stood there annoyed and pissed off.  
  
"Hello, come in." Sakura said with a smile.  
  
However, Sakura could tell that Vessica's patience had reached its limit. "OH GOD WOULD YOU TWO JUST SHUT UP! IF YOU WANT TO FIGHT, GET REAL! IT'S ANNOYING!" Vessica screamed as she hit Machi and Nuriko's head.  
  
"Hey, what's wrong with you, chicken! If you don't have the guts to fight, don't interfere with another person's fight, CHICKEN!" Machi screamed.  
  
Vessica sighed as she walked into the room. However, behind her, Machi gives up fighting with Nuriko and kept calling Vessica chicken, chicken, chicken, and chicken.  
  
"Do you think that Yohina would be happy that we have a little meeting here without her about what had happened on her birthday? I mean, after all, it was her film." Sakura said with concern.  
  
"Don't worry about it. She wouldn't mind. Lately, she had been acting kind of weird. Just last Thursday, she suddenly rushed out of the cafeteria like crazy. When I looked, I saw that the fork she was holding had melted into water." Machi said carelessly.  
  
That alerted Vessica and Sakura. "Melted?" Vessica thought with surprise and then remembered something that had happened to her lately. She was doing her homework when she was too frustrated with one problem, she grabbed the paper out of despair as if the paper would answer her, then, the paper turned to ashes.  
  
Yet, before any of them could discuss anything more, their necklaces suddenly glowed all together and for some reason, they sensed something. None of them know what it was, but they felt it as if it was happening to themselves.  
  
"Tell me it's not happening again." Vessica complained as the TV suddenly turned on and the last thing she saw was Goku almost killing Kougaiji in a fight. Then, everything just disappeared as all of them lost consciousness.  
* * * * Yohina landed on her feet. She was so relieved that she landed safely rather than fall down from the air. She took out her necklace and saw that the purple glow from it had disappeared slowly. First, Yohina looked down at herself and saw that she was dressed in the exactly same thing as last time.  
  
Then, Yohina looked around and saw that she was in a canyon of some sort. It all looked so familiar to her, but she couldn't remember where. Also, she seemed to be in the entrance of the canyon rather than in the middle of it. Before she could figure out where she was, she heard a screech of tires behind her as she turned around to look in fear.  
  
It was the Sanzo party. They were surprised to see her. At first Yohina thought that they wouldn't recognize her, but then they smiled when she said hello to them. "Yohina, how nice to see you again! Where are your friends?" Hakkai asked as he stepped out of the car.  
  
"I don't..." Yohina started to answer. However, before the word "know" could even come out of her, she saw the air opening to form a green portal opening behind Hakkai. Then, Vessica, Nuriko, Machi, and Nuriko were each thrown out of the portal.  
  
Everyone was surprised to see them. None of them seemed to be hurt though. Slowly and painfully, they stood up and saw that they were with the Sanzo party and Yohina was also there. "Why are you guys together?" Yohina asked accusingly as she looked at them.  
  
Her friends smiled nervously. "You see, Yohina, we got together to discuss about what happened on your birthday. I'm sorry we didn't call you. I thought you said your parents are busy so you won't have a ride to Sakura's house." Vessica explained.  
  
"Whatever, just include me next time." Yohina said with her arms folded. She noticed that her friends' clothes were the same as the last time except none of them were wearing pantyhose anymore.  
  
"What happened last time? When we looked at you guys, you guys all had a funny look on your face and then a green portal appeared behind you guys and sucked you guys in." Sanzo asked as they sat down and ate lunch.  
  
"I don't know. It's just that our necklaces started to glow and then everything around us turned white. Then the next thing we know was that we were back in our world." Yohina explained with a shrug.  
  
"That's really weird. Anyway, we think we should get on with our journey. I assume that you guys still want to come with us?" Sanzo said as he started to clean up the food. Goku was complaining about it since he was still eating.  
  
The girls shrugged to show that Sanzo was right. They had nowhere to go anyway and they can't protect themselves if they meet up with any demons.  
  
Just as they were about to get into Hakkai's jeep that his pet dragon Hakuryu had turned into, Hakkai suddenly brought some bad news for them. "Hey, guys, I have some really bad news. There is no way that we can ride a jeep in this mountain range. The roads are way too bumpy for a jeep." Hakkai announced his report since he was sent to scouting just minutes ago.  
  
"What? That means we are only in episode 3!" Yohina thought with surprise. She was sure that she was watching episode 20 at home, but now they were only in episode 3.  
  
It was easy to decide who would carry their luggage. It was Goku since when they play rock, paper, and scissors, Goku always play scissors first. After 1000 steps, Goku retaliated against the idea. They played rock, paper, and scissors again and Goku lost again. "He'll be carrying that bag all the way to India." Gojyo commented.  
  
By that time, Yohina thought back to what will happen later. "Hey, by any chance, do you guys have any clothes that we can borrow?" Yohina asked. Her friends looked at her with question, but Yohina didn't bother to answer them at all.  
  
Sakura and Vessica didn't want to change out of their clothes at all, but Yohina made them. About 15 minutes later, when the five girls were all done redressing up, they all looked like guys. "Men, if we didn't know better, we'd mistaken all of you for guys." Hakkai said with a warm smile.  
  
It was true. All of them were dressed in big shirts that tucked into their pants. Everyone's long hair was hidden under a hat except for Nuriko since she had short hair. Vessica, Yohina, and Machi's boots were changed into tennis shoes. Also, the three of them wore khaki pants. Nuriko and Sakura wore jeans with tennis shoes also.  
  
Gojyo tried to question Yohina why would they want to dress up as guys when they look so good in those other clothes. "You'll find out soon." Yohina's answer was short and simple.  
  
With that, the nine of them marched on in the canyon as the sun started setting. "We'll never make it before sunset." Hakkai complimented.  
  
"It's better if we find place to stay. It'll be too dangerous to travel in these mountains at night." Sanzo commented without another thought.  
  
As they walked, them came upon a temple built in the mountain. "Man, that's what I call a humble little establishment." Gojyo said with a smile as they stopped in front of the gate and knocked.  
  
Two monks appeared on a balcony on what seemed to be the second floor of the temple. "Who are you and what do you want?" One of the monks asked.  
  
"We are just travelers searching for a place to stay for the night." Hakkai said with a smile.  
  
"This is no hotel! Only the holy and most faithful monks can stay here in this most holiest of temples!" The other monk answered with anger.  
  
"Monks, they are all a bunch of hypocrites who are too busy preaching to practice what they preach!" Gojyo said with anger with his punch out. "Shut up!" Sanzo muttered beside him.  
  
"Sanzo, I'm hungry! Can't you do anything?" Goku complained when he heard the monk's answer. 


	6. Going Back

At the end of this chapter, this is a part on news report. I do not know how to write about it, so if it sounds funny, please forgive me.  
  
* * * * * *  
  
Chapter Five  
  
"By the goddess he said Sanzo." One of the monks exclaimed when he heard what Goku had said. The monks studied Sanzo and let them in for Sanzo was the holiest monks among all those who practice the faith of the Buddha.  
  
Yohina and her friends didn't say anything because they knew there was no place for them to talk since everything will work out eventually. Soon, they were brought to the abbot of the temple and the monks let them stay since Sanzo said that Hakkai, Goku, and Gojyo were his servants and the girls were his pupils. That angered Goku and Gojyo. If it weren't for Hakkai, the girls were sure that Goku and Gojyo might have killed Sanzo.  
  
"No wonder you guys wanted to dress up like guys. They would've never let us stay here if they see that you guys are girls." Hakkai commented when they were finished with dinner and were let to their room. Much to their dismay, the nine of them were trapped in the same room since this is the only room that is vacant.  
  
"Tell me about this. This is totally uncomfortable with my hair all scrunched up like this." Machi complained as she took off her hat. Then she untied her hair from the bun it was and tied it into a pigtail like it always was.  
  
Almost immediately after Machi threw her hat down onto the ground, someone knocked on the door. Before anyone could do anything, the door opened and a monk that was about 10 or 12 years old entered the room with cups of tea for everyone.  
  
Yohina, Nuriko, Sakura, Vessica, and Hakkai immediately stood in front of Machi to block the monk from seeing her. All of them had the same nervous smile as the monk spoke.  
  
"I hope all of you have found the room to your liking. My name is Yo. I have been given the high honor to attend to all of your needs. Simply ask and I'll provide it for you." The monk said with a smile.  
  
"Dude, I seriously don't think you can provide any of my needs. Not unless you got an older sister." Gojyo said gloomily.  
  
"Watch your mouth! Women are positively forbidden in this temple! Isn't that right, Master Sanzo?" Yo shouted at Gojyo and then turned to look at Sanzo. But Gojyo just rolled his eyes.  
  
"Why are you doing this to me?" Sanzo said carelessly.  
  
"I have to admit that this is the highest honor that was ever bestow upon me. I have never met a holy man that is chosen by Buddha himself. It's men like you that made me dedicate my life to the Buddha. I cannot tell you what this moment means to me." Yo said with envy while Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku listened with shock.  
  
"If you ever need something, just call my name and I'll be here." Yo then said just before he left. Right after the door was closed, Gojyo, Hakkai, and Goku started laughing as they mocked what Yo had said about Sanzo. "You know what this means, don't you?" Hakkai asked as them laughed.  
  
Then the three of them stopped laughing and answered the question. "He doesn't know you very well." And started to laugh again. Even the girls, who had watched this episode tons of times, started laughing also.  
  
However, Sanzo just sat down and started reading a newspaper as if he doesn't know what they were talking about.  
  
The rest of the night passed quickly. Even though the girls knew about the monster that was going to appear later during the night, they still slept early because they were all worn out during the long walk for a whole day. When they finally woke up in the night, they saw that the Sanzo party had left the five of them alone in the room and had gone down to fight.  
  
"Come on, I want to go down and see!" Machi said as she pulled on her boots.  
  
"Yohina, aren't you going to come?" Vessica asked when she saw that even though Yohina dressed up like everybody else, she didn't seem to want to go down. "No, you guys can go. I don't really want to go down right now." Yohina's answer was in a distant tone as if she was spacing out.  
  
Vessica didn't say anything more but just nodded. She then followed the other three out and left Yohina alone. In the dark room, Yohina wandered why hadn't she gone with her friends. Ever since she the first time here, she'd felt something strange inside of her. It wanted to come out, but something was holding it back.  
  
Even though Yohina didn't go down with her friends, there was really nothing to see after all. When Vessica and the others got down to the fighting ground, the fight was already over. At the end, Machi was sent back to get Yohina down so they could leave.  
  
The monks were surprised that five of them were actually girls. When they saw them, they just pointed at them with shock and they became speechless.  
  
"We are sorry that we have lied to you, but we knew that you wouldn't let us stay if you knew that we are girls." Yohina apologized before anyone could say anything more.  
  
To her surprise, the abbot smiled at her. "You guessed right, young lady. Well, you should get on with your journey now. We will pray that the merciful goddess protects you and bless you on your journey." The abbot said with a kind smile and then they were off.  
* * * *  
Far away in the west from where the Sanzo party was, in the Houtou Castle where Gyumaoh was slain 500 years ago, Kougaiji watched the progress of the Sanzo party along with his friends Lirin, Yaone, and Dokugakuji. "The Sanzo party is only 7 kilometer from where we are now." Yaone commented as they watched the scenes from a mirror that they have.  
  
Yaone is a pretty demon with purple hair like Yohina's. They are the exactly same color. Her hair was tied high back into one ponytail. Yet, the ponytail split up into two so it looks as if she had two ponytails. She has a pair of orange eyes that showed coldness toward the enemies but caring to those that she cared about.  
  
"They have a dragon that turned into a jeep for easy transportation, which is totally annoying if you ask me." Dokugakuji said.  
  
"What are mother's orders?" Kougaiji asked. He was the leader among the four of them. Yaone and Dokugakuji had sworn their allegiance to him years ago when he saved them and took them into his service. Also, Lirin is actually his younger sister so he really cared about her.  
  
"To send in more assassins of course." Dokugakuji answered carelessly. "It's useless if you ask me."  
  
"Of course it's useless! I'm tired of losing my brothers. She throws soldiers at them as if they were nothing!" Kougaiji said as he punched the wall with anger.  
  
"Maybe we should just go and take care of them ourselves. Or are you nervous about this bitch and her little demonic revival?" Dokugakuji asked.  
  
"Of course I'm not. I know what needs to happen here." Kougaiji said as he regained his coolness. Then, Yaone walked up to them. "My lord, why not you...let me go and take care of them?" She asked carefully.  
* * * *  
  
"Man, I'm tired." Yohina complained as she sat down under a tree. They had been traveling for two days in the same forest already and there was still no end to it. Since the trees are too thick for a jeep to pass through, they have to walk all the way.  
  
"Why do we have to endure such torture?" Sakura said as she sat down also.  
  
"Come on, you don't have to and don't be such a drag! I think we'll make it soon." Vessica urged on her friends.  
  
"Whatever you say, Ves. I'm tired of this. It's been two days since we got here. What would happen at home if our parents found us disappearing for two whole days? They would go berserk! I really want to go back!" Yohina said heavily with depression as she stood up again.  
  
"I don't think anything would happen at home. I think the time here is suppose to be faster than our world's. I don't think the person or thing that brought us here want to cause chaos in our world." Vessica answered reasonably.  
  
"I guess you are right." Yohina said with a sigh as she followed her friend.  
  
"Come on! You guys are being such sissies!" Gojyo shouted at them from the front.  
  
However, just as Yohina was about to shout back something mean back to him, three dark shadows jumped out of the bushes and landed between Yohina, Vessica, Sakura, and the others who were way in the front of them.  
  
From one look, all of them could tell that they were demons. As those in front turned back to help the other three girls, the demons attacked. One headed for Vessica, another one headed for Sakura, and another one headed for Yohina.  
  
Vessica had no problem handling the demon. Her samurai blame came out of nowhere and first cut out the demon's arm. However, at that time, Yohina was trapped. The demon was right in front of her while her back was against a tree. "You are mine dinner!" The demon muttered as it raised its claw and snatched for Yohina.  
  
Yohina heard herself screaming as the demon's hand grabbed her throat. Her own hands clutched on the demon's arm as she felt a sudden burn on the palm of her hand. Seconds later, she heard the demon's scream accompanying her own as fire consumed the demon like it did once before. The demon was turned into ashes before anyone could help Yohina. Yohina was shocked. She sat there without knowing what was happening.  
  
At the same time, Sakura was pushed onto the ground by the demon that was attacking her. At the scream from the demon that was trying to kill Yohina, the demon that was attacking Sakura was killed by Gojyo's crescent blade with the chain.  
  
"Are you OK?" Vessica asked as she bent down by where Yohina was sitting.  
  
Yohina looked up to her with an empty expression that Vessica didn't recognize at all. Yet, it disappeared in an instant and Yohina's face was filled with shock. "It hurt. The hotness on my palm hurt. I couldn't control it and it just went out of control!" Yohina muttered when she looked at Vessica. Vessica didn't know what Yohina was talking about at all, but she sounded as if she did.  
  
"Yohina, I know. Don't worry about it." Vessica said with a smile.  
  
For the rest of the day, Yohina seemed to be out of it. She was spacing out a lot of times and when someone tried to talk to her, she always had her barrier up for some reason.  
  
That night, they were again attacked by demons. That time, it wasn't as easy as during the day since the demons seemed to be much used to the darkness than any of them were. It was especially a hard job since the Sanzo party also had to protect the girls, who were defenseless except for Vessica.  
  
When Vessica suddenly fell down because of a demon had slashed on her leg, Yohina pushed her out of the way when the demon attacked again. She felt the burning pain on her back as the claws slashed through her skin. At the same time, the same burning pain came from her palm as if something were waiting to get out.  
  
"Get away, you demon!" Yohina shrieked and then two blasts of fire suddenly shot out of her palm as she shrieked and burned at least 3 demons into ashes and injured another 4. Everyone turned to look at her with shock. Yohina just stood there with the same shock as others. No, she was in more shock. She couldn't believe what she had just done.  
  
"What was that?" She thought with amazement. The palm of her hand still glowed under the darkness as she looked at it. It also felt hot. At that moment, she forgot about the wound that was still bleeding and just looked at her hands. "What's happening to me?" She thought suddenly with fear as she remembered seeing those two fire blasts suddenly coming out of her hands.  
  
No one talked to her as Yohina sat alone by herself during the night after Vessica bandaged her back. They didn't know where the bandages came from since Hakkai just took them out of somewhere. Everyone seemed to be having their own thoughts. Once, Vessica sat down beside Yohina during the night. She wanted to talk since they were best friends in this group and she wanted to let Yohina know that what happened earlier that night was strange but it might just been a hallucination.  
  
"That's impossible. Everybody saw it. I don't get it. Why is this happening to me? None of you guys are having some strange powers. I was thankful because it saved me three times already, but I really want to know why and how to use it. Right now, I feel just like I did before as if I don't have any powers at all. It feels really weird." Yohina answered with depression.  
  
Vessica couldn't argue with her friend. The truth was that she had no idea what was going on either. She just wished that she could come up with an answer.  
  
"Ves, I want to go back." Yohina suddenly said the sentence out of nowhere as she hugged her legs closer to herself. Vessica looked at Yohina weirdly because Yohina seemed so depressed lately. Sure, Yohina is not the kind of cheery person like Machi or Nuriko, but she's not this pessimistic either.  
  
"I miss home. It's been three days already. What if the time here is the same as back in our world? Do you know how worried our parents would be? I don't want to stay here anymore. I don't want to have that weird fire power." Yohina muttered as tears dropped out.  
  
"Yohina, what's wrong with you? You are acting really weird. I thought you don't like to cry." Vessica said, trying to sound optimistic. Yohina just shook her head with pain and anger as she pulled down the necklace.  
  
"I hate this thing! Why does this have to happen to me?!" Yohina cried as she threw the necklace away toward the other wall. With her shouting, the silence of the night was broken as everybody turned to look at her and then at the necklace on the floor. As soon as everybody's eyes were on it, it shone with bright light purple light, which blinded them for a second.  
  
The next thing Yohina knew, she was back in her own world on her bed as if she had just been waking up from a deep dream. She looked at her window and saw the little sunlight coming through the blinds. She wondered if everything that had just happened was a dream. Quickly, she jumped out of the bed, noticing that she was going to be late for school, and rushed to the bathroom to get dressed. As she came out to the kitchen, her parents were still nowhere in sight. She wondered where could they be this early on a Monday morning.  
  
With that thought, she prepared her own breakfast quickly and turned on the TV. As she was heading back to her room to get her backpack, something in the TV caught her eyes, or rather, her ears. She walked backward until she stood in front of the TV. Surely, she wasn't wrong. Her parents, along with Machi, Nuriko, Sakura, and Vessica's were all there, in the morning news. Their mothers were crying as the news people talked in the background.  
  
"Five families are very desperate right now that all of their daughters have suddenly disappeared since this Saturday. The five girls are very best friends. According to one of the parents, four of the girls were together before they disappeared. It has been three days and there is still no sight of the girls. Authorities wonder if the girls ran away from home together. If you have seen one of the five girls, please call 911 to notice the authorities." The announcer in the television said and then the screen showed their pictures.  
  
Without noticing, Yohina had covered her mouth with shock. "So it's true. One day in the Saiyuki world is almost one day in ours." 


	7. School & Enemy

I want to thank dream-eater-is-hungry for the short review. Even though it's only one, it is very encouraging for an amateur writer like me.  
Thank you.  
Forgive me, but this chapter, when it gets half way through, is almost the same with the 5th episode, I think. It was because I had to put it in there and the "girls" couldn't do anything about it. They are still very confused about what they should do  
Oops, I think I said too much, sorry. Enjoy!  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter Six  
The girls and the Sanzo party stood there as the purple light from the necklace covered Yohina. The next thing they knew, Yohina wasn't there anymore, neither was the necklace.  
  
"What...what happened?" Sakura muttered with shock. No one said anything. They were all speechless.  
  
"She...I...I...think she went back." That was the only thing appeared in Vessica's mind.  
  
"But it's impossible. All these times we came and left together. How could she go back by herself?" Machi said with defiance.  
  
"It's not! You don't know anything! We still don't know why we are here and how! How could you say it's impossible if you don't know anything about it?!" Vessica shouted back. Then the quarrel started between Machi and Vessica while the others just stood there, thinking.  
  
"If you would allow me to talk, then I say your friend there went back in her own will. If the necklace is the reason you guys are here, then when she threw away that necklace, that power was lost to her and so she just gone back to your world." Sanzo said with indifference.  
  
"I wonder if we could go back if we do what she had done." Nuriko muttered thoughtfully.  
  
"Who cares? I don't want to go back. Staying here is fun. At least it's better than all of the homework we have." Machi muttered and sat down carelessly. Vessica and Sakura didn't say anything.  
  
"Well, just go to sleep now, girls. We still have to go on our journey tomorrow. I'm sure Yohina would be fine no matter what happened, especially if she went back to your world." Hakkai said with an awkward smile. Yohina's friends thought he would be right, but he was definitely wrong. Yohina would be better off if she had gone elsewhere and not back to her own world.  
* * * *  
"Where have you been?" Yohina's mother shouted as she saw her daughter standing right there in front of her.  
  
"I...I didn't go anywhere." Yohina didn't know what to say.  
  
"Where...where is Sakura? Where is she?" Sakura's mother grabbed Yohina and screamed at her ear desperately.  
  
"Stop it! I...I don't know! I didn't see her! They were together and I was alone! I don't know anything!" Yohina screamed back with anger.  
  
"I'm so glad you are OK. But really, where did you go and how can you get back in here without a key?" Yohina's mother asked when she was finally alone with her daughter and husband.  
  
"I really don't know, mom. I want to go to school right now. I'm sure the others will be all right, wherever they are." Yohina muttered sadly.  
  
Her mom studied her, but she couldn't find anything suspicious on Yohina's face, nothing but sadness and depression. Slowly, she nodded. "All right, but are you sure? It'll pretty tough at school." She muttered.  
  
"I'll be fine. Going to school is much better than staying home." Yohina said and thought back about how she went to the Saiyuki world. She never wanted to go back again.  
  
Yohina walked into her class with a sunken heart. She knows that everyone was going to ask her questions, but she didn't want to stay home. She wouldn't be able to stand the loneliness at home. As she stepped into the room, the silent classroom broke into whispers. She didn't mind it and handed the teacher her pass.  
  
She tried her best to ignore the whispers, but found herself couldn't. Suddenly, she wished that she had stayed home after all. Yet, when she caught her friends' worried faces looking at her, the weight lifted off of her shoulders.  
  
"You OK?" Takeya asked quietly as Yohina sat down in her desk. "I'm fine." Yohina answered and then became absent-minded.  
  
Her mind was in turmoil the whole time the class went on. She didn't even know how she managed to get from one class to another. It was as if she was in one room this minute and another room in the next minute.  
  
"Yohina! Answer this question!" Her calculus teacher's rough voice broke through her thoughts. Startled, she looked up and asked with a dumbfounded look, "What?"  
  
Everybody was looking at her now, as always when somebody was called to answer the calculus questions. Yet, that wasn't the only reason. It was also because of Yohina's sudden reappearance after disappearing for 3 days.  
  
"I asked you to answer the question!" Mr. Calculus said sternly with anger. They called him Mr. Calculus because he was the most strict teacher in the whole school, probably the entire country, and also because he wouldn't allow any talks about any other subjects in his class. If you linked a calculus problem to another subject, he'll tell you to go out for 10 minutes or more and give you at least 100 problems to finish within that time.  
  
Yohina looked at the board and saw the problem on the board. Without thinking, she answered, "I don't know the answer."  
  
"How can you not know? I've been explaining this problem for the past 30 minutes! I just changed the numbers and you don't know? What were you doing? Dreaming?" The teacher bellowed.  
  
Yohina wanted to say "yes", but told herself to shut up. She knew what her punishment would be, but she didn't care. In the past year, calculus had become the subject she didn't care for.  
  
"Take this workbook and go outside! Do pages 35-40 and finish it before the end of class. It's a test grade!" Mr. Calculus said dangerously as he saw the indifferent look on Yohina's face.  
  
She sighed as she grabbed her pencil, eraser, the "book", and left the classroom. Chairs weren't so hard to find since there were always at least four chairs outside the calculus classroom. Her heart sunk deeper as she flipped through the six pages that she had to do. She didn't even know half of it. Yet, she had no choice. She started on it quickly, but was soon irritated and bored. She suddenly wanted to cry as she wondered if Vessica and the other girls were all right.  
  
"Crying now?" Tyler's voice startled her. She wept away the few tears that were coming out and forced a smile.  
  
"Not really. I was just wondering what happened to Sakura and the girls." She muttered and avoided looking at him.  
  
"Tell the truth, Yohina. What really happened? Where were you for the past three days?" Tyler asked gently.  
  
"I don't really know, Tyler. I don't know what happened." She answered quietly, which was half of the truth. The something hit her. "Wait! Why are you here? Shouldn't you be in class?" She asked with shock as she wondered why did Tyler get out also. He's usually the model boy in Mr. Calculus' class.  
  
Tyler suddenly smiled awkwardly as he grumbled, "well, I...I..."  
  
"Thanks, Tyler." Yohina knew what happened and she was really thankful for his company.  
  
For the rest of the time left, the two of them worked on the pages they had to do. It wasn't really hard once Yohina really put her mind into it. The two of them finished exactly when the bell rang. Mr. Calculus looked satisfactory enough when they turned in the answers.  
  
During lunch, Tyler wanted to sit with Yohina and her pals since Jason was also sitting with them even though Nuriko wasn't here, but Yohina said she would be fine and he should go back to his friends. She didn't want to attract more attention to herself, especially not from Tyler's snobby cheerleader girlfriend Amelia.  
  
"Looks like somebody's got a crush on you, Yohina." Jason said as he eyed his brother weirdly.  
  
"What are you talking about? If you are talking about the roses, I gave them away the next day to a cheerleader I knew got a crush on Kyle. Kevin told me about it." Yohina wasn't thinking at all.  
  
Jason kind of laughed at her and shook his head helplessly. "What is wrong with you today? Did you get cursed or something? Tyler told me that you got kicked out of class in Calculus." Jason asked with a teasing smile.  
  
Yohina didn't answer him and looked around. Everything looked the same, except that Machi wasn't here. It kind of feels quiet without her blabbermouth and easiness. Takeya was sitting across from her, talking with some other friends on the other table. Jason was the only one sitting with her, and maybe two other girls who Yohina didn't really know.  
  
She ate her lunch quietly, answering Jason's questions. She knew that he was just trying to cheer her up, but she didn't have the spirit, but she didn't want to make him feel bad either. When lunch was almost over, Kevin came and sat down beside her.  
  
"What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be with your friends?" Yohina asked with annoyance.  
  
"Look, I know you don't feel so good and all, but I found out who sent those roses this morning. I was just wondering if you want to know. It's quiet surprising, really!" Kevin sounded convincing and excited. Yohina turned to look at him with little interest in her eyes.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Guess."  
  
"How am I suppose to know? There are so many boys in this school. Just tell me, I'm not in the mood to play with you." Yohina said with irritation.  
  
"All right, but I think you wouldn't believe me. It's one of my friends." Kevin said with a smile.  
  
"Who? Kyle?" Yohina asked with sarcasm as she drank some water.  
  
Kevin didn't say anything and nodded. Yohina looked at him sideways and choked on her drink. "What?" That was the only word she managed to say.  
  
Kevin shrugged. "That's what I heard from Scott this morning. He was the one who ordered the roses for Kyle. I didn't believe it, but the others told me the same thing, and Kyle looked uncomfortable when I asked him about it." He explained.  
  
"I don't believe you. Kyle likes me? You've got to be joking. What about his girlfriend Janice? Besides, he hates me. I've always gotten him into trouble." Yohina muttered carelessly, but she turned around to look at where Kyle was sitting, nevertheless. He didn't seem to notice her as he joked around with his basketball friends, but Janice was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Believe me or not, it's true. Oh, if you haven't heard the news yet, Kyle broke up with Janice on Monday. Well, I'm just telling the truth. Bye." Kevin left with a kiss on Takeya's cheeks.  
  
"That went well." Jason commented. Yohina gave him a small smile. "Don't believe him. Kyle's just playing a joke. You know him better than I do." She mumbled, but Jason didn't remark on that.  
  
The rest of the day went by quickly. In the afternoon, Yohina was able to concentrate more on her schoolwork than that had happened days before. She didn't get scolded in her other classes and everything was peaceful. However, when school ended that day, she found the purple triangle necklace inside of her locker. It didn't look as shiny as before. Rather, it looked dull and rusty with the color barely visible, but Yohina knew what it was anyway. She wanted to throw it away, but thought better of it.  
* * * *  
The next day, the Sanzo party and the four girls reached a restaurant called Tavern Yamatoya. They were famished, so everyone wanted to go and have something to eat. They got their own little corner in the restaurant and waited for the waitress. There was only one waitress even though the whole tavern was full. They waited patiently while discussing about Yohina.  
  
"I'm worried. I wish I could go back and see if she really returned to our world." Vessica muttered, but the others didn't really care.  
  
"Oh, she'll be fine. If not, the worst thing that could happen to her is dying. Big deal, she wouldn't mind." Machi muttered as she wondered when is the waitress going to get here. She was really hungry.  
  
As they talked, the waitress came up to them. "Sorry about the waiting. There are just too many customers. So are your ready to order?" The waitress was a pretty lady with purple hair tied back in one ponytail. She wore a pink cheongsam that was down to her knees and showed her slender body figures.  
  
"Yes, we are." Goku shouted out with excitement and then the eight customers threw out their orders like firing bullets at demons. The waitress kept asking them again and again to make sure that she didn't miss out on anything.  
  
"Is that all?" She asked with another pretty smile once the customers finished talking. They nodded. "Then, may I suggest the blue plate special? It's only for today." She inquired.  
  
Without for anyone else to answer, Goku and Machi shouted out "yes." That was the end of that. About 15 minutes later, the waitress brought in all of their orders. "This is all of your orders. It is to die for!" She said with excitement as if she was eating the food.  
  
"Think this is enough?" Gojyo asked as he looked at the table full of food.  
  
"For Goku I wouldn't be so sure." Hakkai answered him with the smile he always has. "And for Machi." Sakura added, but Goku and Machi were both too preoccupied with the food. They wondered if they could start eating now.  
  
Yet, just as when Goku was about to put the first piece of chicken into his mouth, the waitress gave out a little scream as the plate she was carrying dropped on the ground. They all turned to look and what was going on and saw several other male customers being very impolite.  
  
"You are right, man. The service here could be much nicer." The one wearing a blue shirt said as he gave a perverted look at the waitress.  
  
"Man, I could kill them so easily. If only..." The waitress thought murderously as she tried to get out of the man's grip.  
  
Then the man suddenly let go of the waitress and gave out a yell himself. "You don't like the service here? Then maybe you should get out." Hakkai said as he twisted the man's arm. The man looked very painful from Hakkai's grip. A sudden shocking thought passed through the waitress' mind at Hakkai's doing.  
  
"Mind your own business, you bastards!" Another man wearing green said as he kicked the table full of food and everything was spilled. "Thanks a lot, you jerk." The waitress muttered unhappily.  
  
Yet, a thrilling cry came and everybody turned and saw Goku in tears. "Why? You bastards!" Goku cried and hit the man who overturned the table.  
  
"You want a fight, kid? Let's have a fight!" Another man shouted and the next thing everybody knew, Goku and Gojyo were fighting against at least 15 other men in the tavern while all of the other customers enjoyed the entertainment. As for the four girls, Sakura, Nuriko, and Vessica didn't really care about the food even though they were famished, but as for Machi, she joined the fight because the men also disturbed her precious lunch.  
  
Sanzo just sat there with Hakkai standing beside him, watching the little fight. "You know, it's ironic that they should be fighting the very people we are suppose to be protecting." Hakkai commented. "Very ironic indeed..." Sanzo nodded thoughtfully.  
  
"Hey, aren't you their friends? Shouldn't you be fighting also?" One man asked and without waiting for Sanzo's reply, he charged forward with his fist tight. Yet, Sanzo just stretched out one foot and the man tripped.  
  
"Hmm...Face flat on the floor." He muttered without any humor in there.  
  
While the fight was going on, the waitress looked around with a heart of turmoil. She came here on her free will to kill the Sanzo party, but somehow she found that she couldn't do it anymore. "It...It's just they are so different..." The thought appeared in her mind and it was true. They were different. They saved her when she expected them not to care at all. They were nice people, or demons. She couldn't do it. Yet, she remembered when Kougaiji saved her years ago. She was to be sent to Hyakugan Maoh because of her beauty and also knowledge in the medicine field. However, when Kougaiji saw her crying while she was following the servant into the palace, he took her under his care and he had cared for her for the past few years like he had promised.  
  
"Is this how I repay his kindness? With betrayal?" She thought, hating herself. Then, her mind was settled on killing the Sanzo party.  
  
While Gojyo, Goku, and Machi were fighting with the annoying men, they smelled something weird all of the sudden and felt dizzy. Soon, the men dropped to the ground and fell asleep while Hakkai figured out what they were breathing in. It was sleeping powder. Yet, he wondered who did it as he warned the ones who were still standing and covered his own nose and mouth with his hand.  
  
Soon, he found that he and Vessica were the only ones left standing in the whole room, well, except for the waitress. "So you are the one who did this?" Hakkai asked with anger. He barely gets angry, but when his friends were threatened, he sometimes couldn't control his anger. By that time, Vessica was right beside him.  
  
"You are an assassin...sent by Kougaiji!" Vessica muttered and took Hakkai's line in the story.  
  
The waitress just smiled as she took off the bracelet she was wearing. "The bracelet! It's her demon power limiter!" Hakkai muttered as he caught the bracelet. Yet, before he could do anything, a spear was stabbed at his face and he jumped back.  
  
"Hello, my name is Yaone. As you said, I'm here to kill you, so get ready to die!" The waitress said with a spear in hand and then attacked viciously. Yet, Hakkai was a much more experienced fighter than Yaone as he dodged every one of her attacks. As for Vessica, her katana was in hand, but she didn't know what to do. Yaone's attacks were too fast for her to interfere.  
  
Then, all of a sudden, Yaone's spear brushed by Hakkai's face as she forced Hakkai out of the door to the clearing outside of the tavern. "Just die!" Yaone shouted as she attacked again. Yet, that attack was a total failure. Hakkai grabbed the end of the spear as he moved out of the way and pushed Yaone just enough so she dropped onto the ground without her weapon. Vessica rushed out of the tavern just in time to see Yaone get up to a sitting position on the ground.  
  
"Stop it! This is useless. You don't want to kill me!" Hakkai said as he threw the spear out of the way. Yet, Yaone didn't answer. She sprang up from ground and threw two explosives at Hakkai. "Or maybe she does." Hakkai thought with amazement as he focused his chi and set up a barrier in front of himself.  
  
"Oh no, he can block it." Yaone thought with both anger and disappointment.  
  
"Why are you doing this?" Hakkai asked with anger as Vessica stopped beside him again. At the same time, Sanzo and the others woke up and wondered what was going on.  
  
"Where is Hakkai?" Sanzo asked as he felt the dizziness dispersing inside of his head.  
  
"He...He is outside...fighting with the waitress." Gojyo muttered as he saw what was going on.  
  
"I failed him. I failed Lord Kougaiji! I'm useless." Yaone blamed herself as she felt tears coming out of her eyes.  
  
"Hey, come on. Stand up..." Hakkai wondered what was wrong with her. She seemed to sad.  
  
"Get away! Kill me! Just kill me! I'm useless!" She shouted at him as she sprang up. Vessica wanted to say something, but her mouth wouldn't listen to her. Hakkai was hesitant.  
  
"If you don't kill me, I would do it myself!" Yaone shouted as she pulled out a dagger hidden behind her and place it on her neck.  
  
Just as Yaone was about to do it, Goku rushed out and shouted, "No, stop!" Hakkai felt his head spinning as he remembered three years ago, the death of his love-Kanan. She suicided in front of him with tears flowing down her face like a cataract. He was too late to save her. He couldn't let Yaone die for no reason at all.  
  
Hakkai rushed forward to stop Yaone. This time, Vessica couldn't control herself as she shouted, "Hakkai, get back!" Yet, she wasn't able to change the story. A thread of fire like a dragon wrapped itself around Hakkai, but didn't really hurt him.  
  
By that time, the rest of the Sanzo party and the other three girls were already outside. "Kougaiji." Sakura couldn't control herself and muttered.  
  
Kougaiji had saved Yaone. He didn't want her to die. He didn't know why she wanted to die, but he couldn't just let one of his servants die like that, especially suiciding. Kougaiji landed on the roof of the tavern and put Yaone down beside him. "So this is the Sanzo party, I'm not impressed." He said out loud as he studied the people down on the ground. "Girls?" The weird thought entered his mind.  
  
"We are not either." Gojyo said.  
  
"I'm just here to retrieve my associate. I'm sure we'll see each other soon enough. That is, if you stay alive." Kougaiji smirked.  
  
"Don't leave! Why don't you stay and let's play a little?" Goku said as his weapon appeared in his hand. He jumped up from the ground and shot toward Kougaiji. "Pathetic!" Kougaiji said as fire glowed in his hand and another thread of fire came out and surrounded Goku, sending him to the ground.  
  
After Goku dropped to the ground, Gojyo attacked, but Kougaiji caught Gojyo's blade between his fingers. "Man I hate this guy." Gojyo muttered. Next, Kougaiji attacked Hakkai. Hakkai was just in time to set up his barrier to protect himself when the fire reached him.  
  
It looked as if Kougaiji was winning, but the next thing he knew, a gun was pointing at the back of his head. "How nice is it for you to join us?" Kougaiji asked.  
  
"Well, I'm all about service. Since I came up, it would be nice of you to cut to the chase and tell us who is responsible for all of this uprising." Sanzo said dangerously and coldly.  
  
"Then, let the chase begin." Kougaiji sneered and disappeared along with Yaone. Just as he disappeared, two threads of flames came out of the ground and went to the defenseless girls. No one was ready for the sneak attack. Yet, something purpled flashed in front of the girls and absorbed the fire into it. The girls saw that it was Yohina's necklace. It wasn't as shiny as before. Rather, it had a dull look on it after absorbing the fire in. However, before they could get it, it disappeared again.  
* * * * * *  
"It's cold tonight. Just like the night when I met you three years ago." Hakkai heard Sanzo talking behind him. The day's event had taken its toll on him. He felt depressed like many times. He had tried to forget, but what Yaone tried to do reminded him of Kanan.  
  
"It's only three years? No offense, but it feels like a hell lot longer than that." Hakkai muttered as he leaned against the open window.  
  
"It's OK. I know what you mean. Hakkai, I just want you to know that if you want to leave for some revenge, then just go. No one's stopping you. Just make sure that revenge is the path you want to take." Sanzo muttered as he lit a cigarette.  
  
"Nah, I don't want to leave. I want to be here. It's fun." Hakkai smiled.  
  
Before Sanzo could say anything, the door burst open. "Sanzo, we are changing rooms. He...He drew pictures on my foot while I was sleeping!" Goku shouted and pointed at Gojyo, who was standing behind him.  
  
"What else am I suppose to do? You were snoring so loud I couldn't sleep!" Gojyo complained angrily.  
  
Then, the two of them started to fight like they always do and they say pretty funny things to each other also. Gojyo would call Goku monkey while Goku tease that Gojyo is a half water demon, but couldn't swim. Sanzo and Hakkai watched with impatience.  
  
"All right. I'm staying now, but I can leave whenever I want to." Hakkai grumbled.  
  
"Just take me with you." Sanzo gave out a helpless sigh. Then, he took out his paper fan out of nowhere and whacked both Gojyo and Goku.  
  
"All right! Shut up! The both of you! I'm not changing room with anyone! Just shut up!" Sanzo hollered. That made them stopped as they looked at Sanzo, pretending they were afraid. The two of them turned to leave, but as usual, someone landed on them. Actually, someone landed on Gojyo. 


	8. Coldness

Well, I decided to upload two chapters per day, if I could keep it up, that is, since I only have nine chapters written for this and a long way to go till the end. After chapter nine, the story is going to turn away from the main plot of Saiyuki, I think, since I haven't watched Saiyuki.  
  
Anyway, I hope there will be more reviews. Soon, I'll start my pretear fanfic, I hope it'll turn out better than this one.  
  
And please keep the reviews coming!!!!!!!!!  
  
* * * * *  
  
Chapter Seven  
  
"Yohina! Where have you been?" Vessica shouted with worry as she came into the room and saw Yohina standing there, looking more worried than herself.  
  
"I don't know. I was watching TV at home when everything turned dark. The next thing I knew, I was on top of Gojyo." Yohina muttered, looking distressed.  
  
"So you did go back?" Sakura asked with disbelief.  
  
Yohina sighed. She told her friends what happened back home and at the end of her story, she could see the same worries on their face except for Machi and Nuriko. They are too selfish and stupid to care for anyone but themselves. They didn't seem to notice the importance of this. Guess being young isn't always too good, especially not in this situation.  
  
"Well, then maybe we should go back, but if we do, then our parents would be asking us what happened and if they ask us, what should we answer them? Maybe we should say..." Sakura started her long lecture. Others soon got tired of it and made her be quiet.  
  
"This necklace, did it do anything? I found it in my locker at the end of school. It's all dull and dark looking." Yohina suddenly held out the purple necklace.  
  
Nuriko explained everything to Yohina this time. She did it pretty detailed, pretty good with someone who never cared about anything. Sakura, Machi, and Nuriko didn't know, but both Vessica and Yohina have more things in their mind than ever, especially Vessica, who never told the others about the weird feelings she has had ever since all of this started.  
  
"You guys continue on talking. We'll go and rest. We have to leave the first thing tomorrow morning, so get ready to travel. Yohina, you too...We won't leave you here." Sanzo said and threw a dark look at both Yohina and Vessica. He seemed to know more about the girls than the girls knew about themselves.  
  
The five girls didn't talk much after Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku left. Rather, they rested like Sanzo said they should. Yohina couldn't sleep. Soon, she found that her friend Vessica wasn't sleeping either. Yet, she didn't say anything. She felt that Vessica wanted to be left alone, just like she wanted to be, alone...  
  
The next day, all of them set out on foot again since they were getting through a deep forest like once before. Hakuryu went out to explore like he always did. If there was one thing that could cheer up the mood, it was Hakuryu. Well, except for the constant fighting that Goku and Gojyo has going on. The girls saw this as entertainment while Sanzo and Hakkai saw this as embarrassment.  
  
The day was peaceful, no demons, no weird things happening. It was a relief, but they knew the peace couldn't last long. During that night, Yohina left the camp and went to a river not far away. She didn't know how she found her way around, but she did. She felt so cold during a summer evening. Something was wrong, she could tell, but what?  
  
"Couldn't sleep?" Vessica's reflecting appeared in the water beside hers. Yohina look up, not at her friend, but at the stars and the full moon.  
  
"I wonder, when could I be like Machi or Nuriko and live my life without a care in the world? I would love to have a life like that." Yohina muttered.  
  
"Well, having their life would be good. Remember what Sanzo's motto is? 'If you meet the Buddha, kill the Buddha. If you meet your father, kill your father. Bound by nothing, free of everything, and live the life that is given to you.' That is what Nuriko and Machi are doing, but we can't do that. Not because we are weak, but because we are not meant for that life."  
  
"You sound so sure about it. Yet, you didn't see the way your parents cried. They shook me as if I have all of their answers and I did, but could I tell them? No! I wish I could. They wouldn't believe me. They would send me to the asylum, even in this age."  
  
"Yohina, it's less than a week, but things are so different now. You have that fire power and I..."  
  
Yohina turned to look at Vessica as she wondered what her friend wanted to say.  
  
"Chilling by yourselves?" A dark and evil voice sounded in the forest. The two girls recognized the voice almost immediately. They knew they were in trouble, but they couldn't move to arouse Sanzo and the others.  
  
"Chin Yisou!" Yohina muttered under her breath.  
  
"How could he? He's not suppose to be here!" Vessica said with a little panicking tone.  
  
A doll jumped out of the bushes. It was one of Chin Yisou's puppets. As the puppet walked closer to the frozen girls, Vessica suddenly moved and had her katana in hand almost immediately. Second later, the puppet was lying on the ground with its head cut off.  
  
"Pretty impressive, Vessica! What about you, Yohina? Can you wield your powers like Vessica?" Chin Yisou's voice rang in the forest again. Both girls were shocked. How could he know about them? That was simply impossible. Even if he had been spying on them, he still couldn't know so much as about their powers. And what powers? The girls have no idea. Vessica simply used her sword and Yohina didn't even do anything.  
  
To their amazement, the puppet pulled itself back together. Vessica attacked again, but the puppet moved out of the way so fast and headed toward Yohina. Yohina still couldn't move. The puppet jumped into the river and disappeared. Second later, the water rose into a tidal wave and poured down on Yohina. She was drenched and what more? She had never felt so cold in her life. It was as if all of the warmth in her had gone out. If that wasn't bad, something stirred in her body. She felt as if she was going to explode, not from the heat, but from the coldness. Something inside of her wanted to come out. Vessica stopped moving and looked at her friend.  
  
Sweats were dropping down Yohina's face as she sat there, shuddering. A red aura surrounded her. It sometimes disappeared and then reappeared again. Then, one bracelet appeared on each of Yohina's wrists. Vessica couldn't see what they look like because they were glowing white. At first, it glowed only a little, but soon, it blinded her. Everything turned white all around. The next thing she knew, she was getting out of bed in her home on Thursday morning.  
* * * * Yohina woke up in her bed and saw that it was morning already. "But how?" She asked herself and remembered the bracelets. She looked at her wrists, but there was nothing except for two red marks at where the bracelets were. Instantly, as if a cold wind had blown by, she felt as cold as she had felt back in the Saiyuki world.  
  
The door bursted open and her mother was outside. "Oh, Yohina! Where were you yesterday?" She cried with worry.  
  
"I'm..." Again, Yohina didn't know how to answer her mother. She wondered if everyone else had returned.  
  
"I just received a call from the other girls' parents. They are all back. No one knows how though. It was as if they just popped out of the sky and sleeping in their bed when they are found." Her mom said with excitement as she hugged Yohina.  
  
Yohina sighed with relief. "At least I won't be alone anymore." She thought. Yet, she couldn't talk. She started to sneeze over and over again. Every time that she wanted to say something, she started sneezing and shivering. She did feel cold, but not talking? That was something weird. At the end, her mom told her to shut up and dress to go to school, or she'll be late for the bus.  
  
Yohina was so relieved to see Machi in school. She asked her what happened.  
  
"I don't know. I remember falling asleep in the Saiyuki world. When I woke up, I was in my bed in my pajamas as if I had been sleeping for the past five days." Machi muttered with a shrug.  
  
She wished that she could call Vessica, but she was busy. Since she didn't do any of her make up works, she was in deep trouble, especially with Mr. Calculus.  
  
At the end of school, she was called to her counselor's office. "Ms. Johnson, what can I do for you?" Yohina asked as she sat down on the chair across from her counselor.  
  
"I'm worried about you, Yohina. Your grades are dropping fast, ever since the end of March. It seemed that you haven't been doing your work lately." Ms. Johnson muttered with a deeply worried look.  
  
"Well, I haven't been in school much this week. I'm sure I'll get everything back to normal the next week." Yohina felt her heart sunk as she muttered those words. She knew that she wouldn't be able to do what she said.  
  
"It's not just this week, Yohina. Ever since two weeks ago, you have started to forget to turn in your works. I have had a little talk with your teachers. They are more worried than I am. You are a great student. What's going on?"  
  
"Nothing. I'm just really distress lately and couldn't focus for some reason. I promise that I'll get all my works turned in next Monday. If I don't, I could go to tutorials." Yohina hated herself for saying those words. Her parents would be furious. She wished she wasn't born at that moment.  
  
"I hope you can do it, Yohina. None of your teachers would be able to tutor you. The SAT is next week. I'm not worried about that. You'll do fine, but your grades are dropping rapidly. If you really couldn't do this by yourself, you know you'll have to find yourself a tutor. If your teachers have to do that, it would be one of the seniors since they are so relaxed right now."  
  
"I understand, Ms. Johnson."  
  
Then Yohina left. She missed the bus, but there was no way that her parents could come and pick her up. "Oh man, what's happening?" She asked herself as she leaned against a pole. She hated herself and everything else. She wished that she was never born. Besides that, she still felt cold. She remembered when she started to sneeze during class today. It was so embarrassing. Whenever the teachers ask her a question and she opened her mouth to answer it, she started to sneeze. Always, at the end, the teacher had to tell her to shut up and call on other people.  
  
It was summer. Why does she feel so cold all of the time? She remembered that tidal wave of water drenching her. Even though it was such a short time, she felt as if it was an eternity of coldness. She didn't realize it, but as she was thinking, she was walking in the parking lot toward the street for some reason. It was as if she wanted to kill herself or something. A loud car screech disrupted her thoughts. She turned to look and saw the driver. To her dismay, it was Kyle with Kevin in the car also.  
  
"Hey, watch it, will you?" Kyle shouted with his head out of the window.  
  
"Watch it yourself! You are the one who almost ran me over!" Yohina screamed at him. She was angry enough without him.  
  
"A normal person wouldn't walk in the middle of the street!" He hollered.  
  
Yohina looked and saw that he was right. She was in the middle of the street and not the parking lot anymore. "Sorry..." She muttered and stepped back onto the sidewalk, Kyle looked at her weirdly for she never says sorry in front of him, especially not to him. Ever since the two of them met for the first time three years ago, all they do was fighting. Even if Yohina was the one wrong, she would never say sorry. Kyle wondered what happened to her.  
  
Yet, Yohina didn't seem to notice as she walked on the sidewalk. Kyle wondered what could she be doing here this late. Didn't she usually ride the bus or anything? For some reason, he rolled down the window and shouted at her. "Hey, you need a ride?" He asked. Both Kevin and Yohina looked at him as if he was crazy.  
  
Yohina looked hesitant. She did need a ride, but not from Kyle. She would never let him help her. They would start fighting the minute she sat down in the car. Just as she was hesitating, another car horn sounded behind her. She turned to look and saw Tyler driving Jason's car and park it at a place behind where she was standing.  
  
"Yo, need a ride?" He asked.  
  
"Yeah, sure." She answered, much relieved with Tyler's appearance. As she opened the door, she shouted at Kyle, "Thanks for the offer!" and then got into the car.  
  
Yohina didn't notice the dirty look Kyle gave Tyler as he drove away. "Why are you here this late? I thought you are riding the bus." Tyler muttered as they got on the road and out of the parking lot.  
  
Yohina told him what happened and he looked worried as Ms. Johnson. "Don't look so worried. You remind me of all my other teachers, old and worried. I hate that look."  
  
"Is it because you always have that look on your face?" Tyler asked with a teasing smile.  
  
"I'm already old enough. I don't want to turn any older. No! I'm never worried."  
  
"Oh really? Then what happened on Tuesday? Was it just me or did you turn into an old grandma?"  
  
"That's not funny, Tyler! I'm not an old grandma!"  
  
"Oh, then great-grandma."  
  
Yohina didn't bother arguing with him. Sometimes he was just way out of line in his so called jokes. Yet, his words did bring down her worries a little bit. However, when they passed a river, the "worries" returned. She felt cold and started shaking. Tyler didn't notice it until she started to cough and sneeze.  
  
"God, are you OK?" He asked as he turned sharply and parked the car in a parking lot. She couldn't answer him and kept on coughing and shivering. "So...cold..." That was the only words she could manage to say.  
  
He put his hands over hers and looked shocks. Her hands were cold as ice in such a bright summer day. He looked at her face and it was pale white like paper. "What's going on, Yohina?!" He shouted with concern.  
  
"I...I...don't...know...I'm...I'm just...so...so...cold..." She stammered.  
  
He didn't know what to do. He had never been in a situation like this before. Yohina felt something wet forming in her eyes and it soon dropped out. Tyler watched in shock as the tear turned into a little ice crystal before it each reached the seat.  
  
Tyler sat there as he watched her shivering in front of him. He wanted to help her desperately, but what should he do? He didn't know. The good thing was, about five minutes later, she stopped shivering. The blood returned to her face. Tyler touched her hand again and it was warm. Maybe not as warm as they should be, but there was some warmth.  
  
"Don't ask me anything! I don't know what's going on! Just take me home!" Yohina said coldly before Tyler could open his mouth. She truly didn't know what was going on. First it was that heat rushing through her body when she first entered the Saiyuki world and now this coldness. She wished it would stop. She wished that she knew how to stop it.  
  
Ten minutes later, the two of them arrived in front of Yohina's house. "You sure you'll be OK?" Tyler asked again with concern in his blue eyes when Yohina was about to get off.  
  
She gave out a little smile. "I'll be fine. I'm always fine..." She answered.  
  
"Wait! Tomorrow night is Jason's birthday party! The whole basketball team is going to be there and I think the girls also, even Sakura and Vessica! Are you gonna come?" Tyler shouted when she was almost inside.  
  
Yohina thought about it. She shook her head slowly. "Nah...I don't wanna...It'll be so noisy and annoying..." She muttered and then went in with no heart to study. 


	9. Fire, Wind, and Future

I hate to say this, but this chapter is probably my least favorite. Maybe it was because I got kind of bored when I wrote it, I don't know. Another reason might be that I didn't plan for the story to turn out this way since I first planned differently, but oh well... Thanks for the reviews: dream-eater-is-hungry and sakuyachan. Please R&R.  
  
Chapter Eight  
The next day, Yohina didn't go to school. She pretended to be sick. The good thing was, her parents believed her. She guessed that her late disappearance made her parents really worried about her. Even though she had the whole day, she had no heart to do any of her make-up works. Just looking at the papers made her sick. She didn't know how the day passed. All she did was probably sitting beside the window and stare up at the sky.  
  
"How did he know?" That was the question in her head the whole day. It was stupid, but she couldn't take her mind off of it. That night, she was too bored, that was why she decided to go to Jason's party and talk with her friends. Her friends looked surprised to see her there. "Tyler told me you wouldn't come." Vessica muttered as the two of them headed upstairs, where there were fewer people.  
  
"I didn't want to, but I was too bored. I couldn't concentrate on my homework or anything. I thought maybe I would just come and talk to you guys for a little bit." Yohina said. The two of them sat down on the sofa in the game room.  
  
"You are thinking about it, too, huh? I couldn't get it out of my mind either. How did that Chin Yisou know? He's not suppose to be anywhere near us at that part of the story. Besides, what powers did he talk about?"  
  
"I have no idea."  
  
"The bracelets that was glowing, what were they? Did you find them again? God this is annoying. I wish we never watched Saiyuki in the first place!"  
  
Yohina gave out a helpless smile. "I do too, but it's useless. I wonder if Machi, Nuriko, or Sakura feel weird like we do or not. I mean, they went to the Saiyuki world just like us. Why should they be so normal?" She mumbled, trying to sound indifferent.  
  
"Dunno. We can ask them. Sakura is coming and so is Nuriko. Actually, I wonder where is that goof-head Nuriko anyway? Probably with her lover boy! She came right after school ended." Vessica was more than annoyed.  
  
"Hello, guys. What's up?" Both Yohina and Vessica looked up and saw Sakura.  
  
"Fine..." The two of them answered in unison with distress.  
  
"Hey, I have something to ask you guys."  
  
"What?" Yohina asked with irritation. She hoped that it wasn't one of Sakura's long lectures again, even if she did say she want to "ask" something.  
  
"Do you guys believe in premonitions?"  
  
"Premonitions? No way. No one can see the future. Besides, even if you see it, it wasn't like you could change it."  
  
"But I saw one. This morning, I was getting up, a picture flashed in my mind about getting a bunch of make-up papers and I did. Just like that picture I saw!"  
  
"You are hallucinating! Maybe the whole Saiyuki thing is going into your head badly." Yohina was really totally annoyed. She was the kind of person who believes in everything, but just not from Sakura. If it was Vessica, she would probably believe it, but Sakura, that girl is sometimes psycho.  
  
"Come on, Yohina! What about that weird power you have? The premonition might just be mine!" Sakura sounded convincing.  
  
"I don't have any weird powers."  
  
"Vessica! Would you at least listen?"  
  
Vessica looked hesitating. She didn't know. Premonition seemed to be a good power to have, but changing the future? That just didn't sound like possible. On the other hand, she knew that Yohina believed in Sakura. Yohina might sound like really irritated, but she's not a fool. Yohina would want to know the future sometimes when she's really in trouble, especially at making some important decisions.  
  
"I'm not listening to anymore of this! I'm leaving." Yohina said and stood up. Just as she was about to go down the stairs, Sakura shouted for her to stop.  
  
"What do you want now?"  
  
"Yohina, when you get home, don't open the TV or you'll go back to the Saiyuki world." Sakura warned her with resolve.  
  
"Whatever..."  
  
Once Yohina go home, she opened the TV. "I'll show her..." She thought. A smile appeared on her lips once the TV started and nothing happened to her. "The next time I believe in Sakura, I'd rather be turned into a chicken." She muttered to herself and relaxed.  
  
At about 11 something, Yohina heard the loud sound of the garage door opening and knew that her parents are back from shopping. The TV was still on as she stood up from the sofa and walked toward her room. She didn't want her parents to know that she had been watching TV the whole night instead of doing her homework. However, just as she walked by the TV, her whole body froze. She couldn't move. It was as if something had locked her in space. Then, something started to glow. It was those annoying bracelets as the coldness ran through her body again. The last thing she saw was her mother's terrifying face before everything turned white.  
* * * *  
"Finally, I thought it would never end..." Vessica thought as she walked out of Jason's place at about a quarter to 11.  
  
"Hey, Vessica, do you reckon that Yohina listened to me?" Sakura asked her as they got into the car. Since the two of them live so close to each other, Sakura's parents are dropping Vessica at her place, and of course, also Nuriko.  
  
The two of them waited for Nuriko to come out for a long time. "What's taking you so long? It's not you are never going to see him again!" Vessica asked with bad temper as Nuriko got in.  
  
"Well, you know, I won't see him for a whole week and that's pretty long."  
  
"When did you become such sluggish lady? The Nuriko I remember was a person who never cared about anything, well, other than food..."  
  
"I thought so too, but Jason is going to college soon and I won't see him for a long time after that. I just want us to spend more time together..."  
  
"You are so not Nuriko!"  
  
"It's easy to talk about other people. What about yourself? If your Andrew were leaving four months later, you wouldn't be here either. You would want to be with him everyday for the next four months also!" Nuriko sounded angry.  
  
"What are you talking about? I don't even like Andrew! Well, I like him as a friend, but not as in 'love' like!" Vessica felt her temper flaring up.  
  
"Oh yeah? What about that time when you canceled the party just because he was going to Japan to compete? Huh? How'd you explain that?" Nuriko would have stood up with anger if she could. Vessica didn't say anything. She couldn't. That time, it was true. She did have a crush on Andrew, but that was a year ago. Since then, so many things have happened that she already forgot that feeling for him.  
  
Once Vessica got home, she was that her mom was still not back from work. It was kind of a relief even though she would be worried normally since it was so late already. She opened the TV, but just like before, she had no interest on it. Soon she realized that all of her thoughts were on Chin Yisou and Hakkai. She couldn't get them out of her mind no matter what.  
  
"You stupid cursed troublesome necklace!" She shouted with anger and threw that gray bracelet at the TV. In midair, the necklace glowed with gray light and consumed Vessica.  
  
"Oops!" She muttered as everything disappeared around her and she was consumed by darkness.  
  
* * * *  
  
Yohina looked around and saw that she was in a dark forest of some kind. The way that the trees were clustered together gave her the creeps, especially since it was night. She couldn't see them moon or anything but the trees. She was also cold. She was only wearing her pajamas with no shoes on. The branches on the ground hurt her and every step she took felt as if she was stepping on the sharp point of knives. She wished that she could light a fire to warm herself, but she didn't dare. She had no idea what kind of creatures lived in the forest and she didn't want to invite any unwelcome friends. She kept on walking and walking until she heard a voice calling out to her.  
  
"Who are you?" She muttered quietly.  
  
"I'm the trees, the air, and everything you see and feel." The voice answered her.  
  
"What kind of crappy answer is that?" She thought with anger and fear.  
  
"Then what kind of answer would you like to hear except for the truth? I could change my answer according to your will, but it would be a lie."  
  
"Oh great, now you can read my thoughts."  
  
"Yes..."  
  
"Then tell me, where am I and why am I here? How?"  
  
"This place is somewhere in your heart. It is buried deep and you are here because someone is trying to bring out this part of you. The dark, mysterious, and murderous part of you that is filled with fear and hatred."  
  
"I don't get it. Your answers don't fit together. If I'm murderous, then how can I have fears?"  
  
"Do you feel cold?"  
  
"Yes...Very cold."  
  
"Then light a fire using your powers."  
  
"My powers?"  
  
"Yes, those powers that you used to kill the demons; the powers that Chin Yisou took away from you? Try to find them and light a fire."  
  
"How?"  
  
"Search for it. Remember the way you felt when the demons tried to kill you. Find that feeling and bring it back. If you do, you would never feel cold again."  
  
Yohina tried, but she couldn't remember. The only thing she did remember was the feeling of fear. She didn't want to die at the time, but did she know that she was going to die? No, she didn't, because she was in a completely different world. Oh, everything is so confusing. This power...this power...what is it? Fire? No, that's impossible. She couldn't possibly be able to use fire. She's afraid of fire; she suddenly realized, but why? So many questions and so few answers..."Somebody help me..." That was the only thought in her mind.  
  
"Nobody can help you. You are alone. That is you, Yohina. That is what your heart is made of, full of loneliness and desolation. You shut yourself away from everybody and now you are alone."  
  
"That not true! I never shut myself away from my friends. I'm not alone! I don't want to be alone..."  
  
"Really? Then if you are able to light that fire, you wouldn't be alone anymore."  
  
She tried again with the thoughts of getting out. She didn't want to be in the forest. She hated there even though she was only in there for about twenty minutes. "How do I search for the fire?" She thought and she tried to forget about the coldness she was feeling.  
  
"Come on! Just burn this whole forest!" She wanted to scream. Nothing happened. She didn't know, but by that time, she no longer felt cold and she was surrounded by a red aura like before. "Come on! Just burn this whole place!" She found her voice and shouted. She was then consumed in fire, but nothing hurt her. Nothing could. She ran in the forest, igniting the trees as she ran and everything was consumed in fire, no matter what.  
  
"That's good. That's very good. Now it is up to you to control it, Yohina. If you can ignite it, you can put it out and control it." The voice was getting farther and farther away from Yohina.  
  
"Stop!" She shouted and everything returned to normal. There was no fire or anything else. She was again back at the dark forest. "That was fun." She thought as she wondered if it really happened or not. No matter, she liked that feeling. She felt normal even when she was consumed in fire.  
  
She held up one of her hand and touched the tree that was nearest to her. "Burn." She muttered and the tree went up in flames.  
  
When there was nothing left of the tree but the ashes, she said "stop" and the fire dissipated without harming anything else. Now she felt that warm feeling in her heart where the power lays.  
  
"Good. Now you can control it, you can go back now. Remember, that power is yours. Don't let anybody take it. Be careful near water. If you let Chin Yisou or anyone put out the fire in you again, you might never retrieve it without someone sacrificing their lives for you."  
  
"Yes, I remember."  
  
Then, Yohina was back.  
* * * * She didn't know what was happening. Everything was white and she meant everything, even her own clothes.  
  
"OK, what's going on?" She took out the gray necklace, which somehow was in her hand, and asked. She acted as if the necklace could answer her.  
  
Yet, it did. Actually, it wasn't the necklace, but a voice in her head.  
  
"You are everywhere yet nowhere." The voice said.  
  
She almost jumped up. "What the heck? Who...who are you? And what do you mean I'm everywhere yet nowhere?"  
  
"Vessica, this place is not anywhere in the universe, yet it is everything in the universe. I cannot explain, no one can, it is just there. The necklace you are holding is the key to this place and it has led you here when you tried to get rid of it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
"Because you are the master of this place. I'm simply here to warn you and explain some little things. You and your friends are in danger. You and Yohina are opposites. She is going through her test and you are going through yours. As for your other three friends who took hold of the necklace, they will soon go through theirs, but if only you and Yohina have passed yours."  
  
"What are you talking about? Is this a dream or am I hallucinating like Sakura is?" Vessica asked herself and actually pinched herself. She jumped up from the pain and knew that it wasn't her own hallucination.  
  
"You are pathetic, Vessica. This isn't a dream. It is real. As for you, you have the power to control wind. That is what Chin Yisou is after and so will other demons when they learn of your existence."  
  
"Can I go back now? I'm really sleepy." Vessica yawned and sat down on the white ground.  
  
"Yes, as soon as you control the wind and believe me. If not, you could die, not to mention your dear friends."  
  
"OK! Here is the wind. Can I go?" She yawned again as she grabbed a handful of air. She was acting foolish and wished that she could get away from it, but as soon as she gestured the grabbing of air, she felt the air all around her, stirring and being restless.  
  
"What on earth...?"  
  
"See, that is your power. You cannot ignore it. If you don't listen to me, you'd use your powers without noticing and cause a lot of commotion. Now, try to see the air around you."  
  
Vessica listened and looked around. Surprisingly, she could see them. The little moving air all around her. It was fun. She felt the air tugging at her clothes as she stood up. She raised her hand and grabbed at them and they felt like cotton in her hand.  
  
"This is fun..." She muttered with a little smile as interest lit in her eyes.  
  
"Good, now that you can see and touch them. Try to use them. Blow away the boxes you see."  
  
Almost immediately, Vessica saw the four boxes appearing in front of her. She smiled and grabbed a handful of air and threw it at the boxes. She could see the air flying toward the boxes and calculate the time when the boxes would fly up.  
  
"Now..." She muttered and the boxes did flew up just like she had said.  
  
"That was great. Now, try destroying the boxes."  
  
"What do you mean by destroy them?" Vessica became hesitant.  
  
"Using the wind to send your opponent flying is not enough. You have to control that power very freely and use it for everything. With the wind, you can lift up something very easily, or you could turn that thing into smithereens. Now try it!" The voice was demanding.  
  
Again, Vessica focused. She didn't want to learn it, but the reason she did as the voice told her was because she wanted to go back. She wished that her mother wouldn't be so worried.  
  
Vessica held out her hand and it looked like as if she was grabbing for the boxes, but she wasn't. She was forming the wind. The boxes, which were about 5 meters away from her, lifted up slowly. Next, Vessica closed her hand as if squeezing something. Slowly, the boxes started to shrink as if Vessica was really squeezing them and then they turned to ashes and dropped onto the ground again.  
  
She gave out a deep sigh. That was tiring. Now she felt light as if she was floating. The next thing she knew, she was floating. "What the heck?" She thought with amazement and wonder.  
  
"Yes, not only can you lift other things, you can float with your powers, but don't use it. For if you were floating, the wind wouldn't listen to you as well and you might kill yourself. Now, that is enough. It's time for you to get back. Try to use this power at home. You might not be able to control it as good as you think you can."  
  
Before Vessica could answer, she was back. 


	10. Tutorials

I'm sorry to say that after this chapter, I won't update as often, mainly because I have to rewrite everything afterwards since I kind of lost it...It's so sad, but I'll make it!  
  
Chapter Nine  
"Yohina! Where are you make-up works?" Mr. Calculus shouted at her across the room. Yohina was troubled. That day, when she got back, it was already Monday morning. She wondered how could time pass so slow in that place. She was only there about twenty minutes and when she got back, two days have passed. It really sucked since she hadn't really done her homework. Now, she's really in trouble.  
  
"I...I didn't have time to..." She couldn't say anything to defend herself.  
  
"Didn't have time? How could you not have time? You had the whole weekend!" Mr. Calculus bellowed.  
  
"Well, I had to do my other classes'..." Yohina didn't get to finish.  
  
"Other classes? What other classes? You are failing this class! Do I have to flunk you?" Mr. Calculus hollered at her. Yohina felt her face turning red. She knew that the whole class was looking at her. Yet, she couldn't lift her face to meet any of their eyes. The truth was, she hadn't do any of her homework at all.  
  
"I'm sorry..." Yohina muttered as she felt the tears in her eyes.  
  
"Go to your counselor and solve this. I don't have time for you!"  
  
Yohina rushed out of the room quickly. She gulped down her tears as she ran to the restroom. She would be in trouble without a pass, but who cares? She didn't. Suddenly, the coldness returned. Again, she lost her power. She didn't understand. Where did it go? She felt lost. It was fifteen minutes later when she finally walked out of the restroom with composure.  
  
She headed toward Ms. Johnson's office. Ms. Johnson didn't ask her for a pass. She guessed that Ms. Johnson knew what was going on.  
  
"So...how do you explain?" Ms. Johnson asked.  
  
"I didn't do it. I didn't have the heart to."  
  
"Didn't have the heart to? How could you say that? If you don't get through this year, you know we'll have to fail you. Do you want that?"  
  
"I don't, but I couldn't do anything. Every time I saw those homework, my head hurts and I couldn't think. I would just stare at them and do nothing."  
  
"You need a tutor to urge you, Yohina."  
  
"No I don't. Besides, I don't think anybody would want to tutor me. All of my friends are busy with their works and most of the seniors hate me for some reason. It wasn't like I know them. They just hate me."  
  
"No they don't. That's only what you think. Anyway, go to the cluster leader of one of the senior teachers. They'll probably ask someone to help you."  
  
"But I don't need any..."  
  
"You do. Now go! I want to see your grades improving next week. If you don't do it, I would call your parents. I should've called them last week."  
  
Yohina had no choice but to go. She didn't want her parents to know, but she didn't want a tutor either. For the rest of the day, she avoided everyone. Her friends could see that she wanted to be alone so they left her alone.  
  
At the end of the day, she went to the one senior teacher she knew, Mrs. Jones, and asked for her help.  
  
"I'm surprised, Yohina. I would never thought you would need a tutor, especially at this time of the year." Mrs. Jones looked at her weirdly as Yohina finished explaining her situation.  
  
"Well...Lately...I've been feeling weird, so I just couldn't do anything..." Again, Yohina couldn't finish her words. It seemed that she suddenly has problem speaking now.  
  
"I think I have someone to tutor you, but you wouldn't like it."  
  
"Can I get Jason? He's the only senior that's not mean to me."  
  
Mrs. Jones shook her head. "Jason is too busy tutoring her own brother." She said.  
  
"Kevin? He'll be OK." Yohina begged.  
  
"No. Kevin's busy tutoring two other students. You may not know it, but there are a lot of students getting tutors. The third year of high school is the busiest one and you are flunking it. The only one I can ask to tutor you is Kyle and Scott."  
  
"Then I'll get Scott." Yohina decided quickly.  
  
"I can do it." Without their noticing, Kyle had walked into the room unnoticed. He smiled at Yohina as he slung his backpack on one of the front desks.  
  
"There you have it, Yohina." Mrs. Jones gave her a little smile.  
  
"But Scott's nicer. I don't want him to be my tutor! He's going to laugh at me." Yohina didn't mind calling Kyle mean. He knew what she would say anyway.  
  
"Scott's busy. He got himself a student on Friday, at Jason's party." Kyle said carelessly.  
  
"Then I don't want one. Please, just not him!" Yohina begged.  
  
"Would you be reasonable? Am I really that mean? You are the one who always start our fights and you are the one who wouldn't apologize no matter what!" Kyle lost his temper.  
  
"Shut up! No one is talking to you! It's my choice! Besides, you don't want to tutor me anyway! I'm stupid and dumb! I'll never learn a thing! Got that? I'm just wasting your time!" Yohina didn't mind calling herself stupid and dumb. As long as she could get away from Kyle, it'll be fine, just not flunking 11th grade.  
  
"I'm sorry. It's not your choice, Yohina. Kyle is your tutor!" Mrs. Jones butted in.  
  
"But I..."  
  
"No 'buts', Yohina. Now go home. The rest is up to you guys. I hope the two of you could be a little mature about this. Kyle, you be responsible. If her grades is not back to normal in two weeks, you are in trouble." Mrs. Jones muttered.  
  
"Sure..." Kyle grumbled and threw a dirty look at Yohina. She gave him the same disgusting look back.  
  
She cried without reason once she got back home. It was just that she felt like crying. That was all. Why did she have to get Kyle? It could be anybody, just not him. Oh god, she hates him. Again, that was for no reason. It was just when they first met, they've hated each other.  
  
Then, the phone rang. She picked it up as she wiped away the tears on her face.  
  
"Hello?" It was Kyle.  
  
"What do you want?" She asked coldly.  
  
"I was just wondering when would be a good time for the tutoring."  
  
No answer.  
  
"I know you don't want to have the tutorials in your house because of your parents. So I was thinking maybe every Tuesday and Friday night after school."  
  
"When the heck did you become so considerate of other people?" She wanted to say that, but thought better of it. "How am I suppose to get there? Besides, I don't think Friday nights would be such a great idea." She said.  
  
"Oh, it'll be fine. I can cancel all of my plans."  
  
"And why is that?" She thought, again she didn't say it out loud.  
  
"Oh, we can have the tutorials right after school. I'll drive us to my house and then back to yours after the tutorial."  
  
"I...I guess that's OK."  
  
"Well, then see you tomorrow. Do your homework for once, will ya?"  
  
Yohina wanted to scream at him with all of her anger, but she just slammed the phone down really hard. 


	11. The Unlucky Girl

Chapter Ten  
  
"So I heard you got tutorials with Kyle." Tyler asked Yohina the next day when the two of them arrived in class.  
  
"Yeah, sure. Don't tell me your are going to tease me about it too. I got enough from Kevin this morning." Yohina yawned as she said those words.  
  
"Didn't sleep well?" He asked with a handsome smile.  
  
"No! I tried, but couldn't sleep. Couldn't do anything lately..." She yawned again.  
  
"Well, I hope you have better luck tonight." Tyler remarked and then talked to his other jock friends.  
  
The day passed quickly. Yohina was finally able to concentrate on something. She had less trouble that day and she felt great, except for the fact that she had to go to Kyle's place for tutorials that afternoon.  
  
She walked out of the school building gloomily and wished that she could go before Kyle could spot her. "You are not trying to dump tutorials, are you?" Kyle caught up to her and asked with a smirk.  
  
She wished that she could use her powers on him and burn him into crisps.  
  
"No, I'm not." She answered.  
  
"Then come on. Let's go before Janice could see me. She's bugging me lately. You know, I dumped her and she's totally annoying about it." Kyle kind of whispered and the two of them headed to the student parking lot.  
  
"Why did you dump her? I heard she's a nice girl. Well, much nicer than all of the others snobs." Yohina muttered. Kyle looked perplexed for a moment. Then he gave out a handsome smile that showed his white teeth.  
  
"I found someone else." His answer was short and simple. Yohina wondered who could be the unlucky girl.  
  
Even though they moved as fast as they could, Janice was still standing by Kyle's convertible when the two of them arrived. When Janice saw Yohina, she looked dismayed and angry. "So she's the new girl? What's she compared to me, Kyle? What is wrong with you?" Janice shouted before any of them could say anything.  
  
"What are you talking about? I would die before I go out with this flirt! What is wrong with you?" Yohina shouted without waiting for Kyle to explain.  
  
"Girls, there is no point fighting. I'm not dating Yohina or you, Janice. Stop wasting your time on me. Go get Scott. I'm sure he'll be happy enough to go out with you." Kyle criticized.  
  
"I'm not going unless you tell me who that girl is! Who could be a better girlfriend to you than me? We've been together for the past three years! Kyle!" Janice looked as if she was going to cry like a baby. That kind of surprised Yohina. She never was sure about human relationships. To her, they didn't seem to love each other. They only seem to be friends. Maybe Janice really did care for Kyle, but how can you explain that feeling? How do you know when you are in love?  
  
"Janice, you are over estimating yourself. You are not perfect. No one is perfect. Yet, when you are in love, you see an imperfect person as perfect. That is what love is and now, someone else is the perfect person for me." Kyle said with his arms crossed.  
  
"I hate you, Kyle! How could you do this after so many years? I loved you!" Janice ran off crying, which was really pathetic.  
  
Kyle didn't say anything but got into the car. "Wait! Aren't you going to chase her and make sure that she's OK?" Yohina asked with worry.  
  
"No. She'll be fine by herself. She's always fine." Kyle's description reminded Yohina of herself. She thought back to the time when she told Tyler and she's always fine. "But am I always OK?" She asked herself as she got into the car and buckled up.  
  
No one said a word in the car. Yohina was thinking about what she had just seen. She wondered who could Kyle like. "I feel sorry for whoever it is." That was the thought that Yohina was able to settle on.  
  
"So what do you need help on?" Kyle asked once the two of them were settled in his house. His house was much bigger than Yohina's. It was a two-story house with five bedrooms. The house's interior was decorated with expensive pictures and also furnitures. The study room had three bookshelves in there. Yohina examined them with interest.  
  
"Did you read all of the books?" Yohina asked with amazement.  
  
"Not really, but I've read most of them. It's mostly my older brother's books. I'm not a bookworm like him." Kyle answered carelessly.  
  
"That's cool. I want to have all of these books. I've wanted some of them for some time, but my parents wouldn't buy me them. They said that I could just borrow them from the library." She complained.  
  
"Who cares. So, what do you need help on?"  
  
"Nothing. I need help on nothing. I just need to do my make-up works. Once I get them done, we won't have tutorials anymore."  
  
"And how much make-up works do you have?"  
  
"A lot." Yohina wished she had done most of the work before. Because once she took them out, it made a thick stack on Kyle's desk. He eyed her with disbelief.  
  
"How long haven't you been doing your homework?"  
  
"About two or three weeks." Yohina was embarrassed. Kyle thought she looked cute when she was embarrassed, much better than the one who acted like a savage all the time anyway.  
  
"Then get started on it. I have to do my homework too. Just ask me when you don't understand something." Kyle said and then left to get his stuffs.  
  
Yohina worked as fast as she could because she didn't want to come to tutorial with Kyle for the third time. Well, she didn't want to come for the second time either, but she knew she had to. She will never get through all of the works in one day. "You are doing pretty good." Kyle remarked, which shocked Yohina.  
  
"Don't do that. You are making everything worse." Yohina complained. Luckily, she wasn't using pen, so it was easy correcting everything.  
  
"So I heard about the disappearance. Where did you and your friends go?"  
  
"Nowhere."  
  
"You are a bad liar, you know."  
  
"I know, but it's none of your business. Besides, if I could tell anybody, it wouldn't be you. I didn't even tell my dearest friends, do you think I would tell you?"  
  
"Yes, kind of." Kyle shrugged.  
  
"You are being very stupid."  
  
"I didn't say I'm smart."  
  
"Quit it, Kyle. You are not being yourself. If I was right, you would have said 'you are stupider.'"  
  
"Quit making me look so mean!"  
  
"But you are mean, especially to me."  
  
"Oh really, what would you say if I stop being mean to you?" Kyle asked and put his right hand over hers. Yohina was confused. She looked up and saw him looking at her with care and gentleness. In other words, she thought that he looked scary that way.  
  
"What...what are you talking about?" She pulled her hand out and stammered with a panicky feeling inside.  
  
"Nothing. I was just joking." Kyle kind of smirked and then walked away again.  
  
Yohina punched him on the face. "It's not funny."  
* * * *  
  
Wednesday passed swiftly. Nothing troubled Yohina except for the fact that she needed to go to tutorials on Friday again. Thursday night, once she got home, instead of doing her homework like the past few days, she opened the TV, started the computer, and relaxed. Even as she sat there, her heart wouldn't stop bugging her about all the works she has left to do. Sighing, she took out the dull purple necklace and a thought entered her mind.  
  
"If only I could go back..." The thought stunned her, but then...  
  
"It wouldn't be so bad. Anything is better than going to tutorials at Kyle's place. If only I could get this thing to work..." She muttered to herself thoughtfully.  
  
Then she started trying to get to the Saiyuki world using the necklace. She kicked it, begged it, threw it, washed it, rubbed it... She even prayed to it, but nothing would work. In the end, she finally gave up when her mom came back from work.  
  
However, the next day, just as she was meeting Kyle in the parking log, Machi rushed over to her.  
  
"Hey, got a minute?" She asked casually.  
  
"Well, depends on what you want. I'm going to tutoring now, you know." Yohina answered slowly, acting as if she was impatient when she was very happy to make Kyle wait by his car and be bugged by Janice.  
  
"I got a portal." Machi whispered mysteriously.  
  
"What? Here? In school?" Yohina would've screamed if Machi didn't cover her mouth.  
  
"Shut up, will you? Don't be so stupid. I wouldn't leave it where people could see it, but it is in school. I was just thinking that since you hate Kyle so much, we could go together. Besides, you necklace can't..." Machi trailed off as if realizing that she had said something she shouldn't have.  
  
"My necklace can't what?"  
  
"Never mind that. You wanna come? You know this is an exciting part, don't you?" She asked with an impatient smile.  
  
Yohina's mind wondered back to when Vessica and she met Chin Yisou days ago. It was such a scary feeling, but she asked, "You sure it leads to Saiyuki?"  
  
Her friend nodded without another word.  
  
"Let's go then." Yohina said and turned around after Machi. As she turned, she saw Kyle staring after her with disbelief, but without giving him another thought, she ran off after Machi.  
  
Five minutes later, she two of them was walking downstairs to the old chemical storage room. It was dark and cold. Yohina found herself hating the cold. It gave her a bitter memory of the time when Chin Yisou took away her powers and wrapped her in coldness.  
  
"If I ever see that demon again, he's dead." She swore under her breath.  
  
Then she saw it the shift in the air. She first saw it and then felt its power brushing up against hers. Before Machi could touch it, she did, and it became obvious. The colorless portal turned to dark green swirling in darkness just like Hakkai had described to them once. It was about six feet tall and 2 ft wide.  
  
Yohina put her hand into the portal, but it didn't feel any different. Then, something, a hand, from the other end grabbed her. She felt panic rushing through her as she sent a handful of flames out of her hand that was in the portal, but it didn't let go. The other hand pulled with force and dragged her in. While falling through, she felt Machi grabbing her other hand, the they fell in together.  
  
When she opened her eyes again, Yohina saw that the Sanzo party was around her. Machi, Ves, Nuriko, and Sakura were also there, but instead of being worried, they all looked very angry.  
  
"What are you looking at? What happened?" She asked with bad temper as she sat up from the ground, feeling sore all over.  
  
"Look at your beautiful handiwork." Vessica said with sarcasm and pointed to the left.  
  
Yohina looked and saw that she was beside a prairie of some kind, but the prairie was all in flames. The heat of the burning fire touched her face, and she felt connected to it somehow. There were animals running from the flame as it moved forward, but away from where she stood.  
  
"How's that my handiwork? And aren't you guys going to do something about it?" She asked with confusion.  
  
"You are the one who sent out such a strong fire at me when I grabbed your hand. You could have turned all of us to ashes. I had to blow it away, but then it caught on the grasses. I'm using my powers so the fire wouldn't come at us." Vessica complained.  
  
"You were the one who grabbed me? How should I know? I just did it to protect myself. It's your fault." Yohina said it out straight.  
  
"What do you mean my fault? Your hand was hanging in the air alone. I just grabbed it out of curiosity."  
  
"Whatever," said Yohina, dismissing the matter. Then she turned to Machi and inquired, "How did you get the portal to open?"  
  
"We...uh...kind of found a way, but we don't think yours or Ves' work for some reason." Sakura answered awkwardly.  
  
"Psychic again?"  
  
Sakura nodded.  
  
"I don't want to know then. It just gets on my nerves when you can do it and I can't. Besides, as long as I get away from tutoring, I'm fine." Yohina shrugged.  
  
"We can't just leave the fire like this." Nuriko suddenly said when they were about to go.  
  
"What do you propose we do? Why do you girls have to interrupt everything we do? Go home! There is no need for you to be here!" Gojyo had completely ran out of patience.  
  
"This'll be a piece of cake." Yohina stepped out of the jeep and looked at the fire. First she thought about taking it back, but it would be harmful to herself if she do that, so she decided to put it out with the water that Chin Yisou "gave" her those days ago.  
  
Separating her powers, she held back the fire and called upon the water at the same time. Seconds later, the fire diminished. There was no way to tell that it had existed at all except for the destroyed prairie.  
  
Wow, that was cool. How'd you do that? Teach me! Teach me!" Goku was really excited and asked her once they were on the road.  
  
It seemed that Hakuryu had trained himself in turning into a bigger jeep, so now, the car has three rows of seats, and the 9 of them barely fitted into the car. At least no one was sitting on the trunk like before.  
  
Hearing his question, Yohina smiled since she was kind of in a good mood. "Oh, it was easy, but I doubt if you could even learn to do that. Your powers has more to do with brutal strength than magic." She answered.  
  
Goku looked hurt, but he was soon in a deep fight with Gojyo, so it was no big deal anymore. It's ironic how some people's minds could change so quickly. When the fight got so annoying, it was only with a sound "thwack" from Sanzo's fan that stopped them.  
  
Uh..., this chapter is pretty much pointless, but I have to write it to make a connection to the next chapter. Had a hard time naming it, so if I thought up of another title, I'll change it. I'm also debating on what to do about Yohina and Kyle. Anyway, next chapter will be more interesting with more the focus on the five girls, Sanzo, Goku, Hakkai, and Gojyo. In addition, I'm going to cut out a lot of extra things to the story won't be so long-winded. So, I'm going to update soon as long as there are some reviews! I'm so sad that the front chapters didn't receive any reviews, but I hope it would get better! Gotta sleep now, bye! 


	12. Wings

R/R Plz  
  
Chapter Eleven—Wings  
  
Thirty minutes later, they were driving beside a forest, listening to Goku and Gojyo's bickering for food. As always, Gojyo wouldn't give Goku any. Machi and Nuriko were enjoying it while the rest are clearly annoyed by the constant fighting. Everybody had too many worries to tolerate the fights.  
  
"Please stop it!" Yohina complained, but Goku and Gojyo's shouting drowned her words. "Sanzo, would you please do something?" She begged.  
  
THWACK! THWACK!  
  
"Hey, mind your own business!" Gojyo shouted at Yohina.  
  
"Since when did you became so considerate of other people anyway?" Goku complained, still feeling the pain from his head. Sanzo didn't say anything.  
  
"I doubt if Sanzo was being considerate. Even if Yohina didn't ask, you two would get it sooner or later. He was always like that, wasn't he?" Hakkai turned around and said with a smile.  
  
Yet, even though he just turned around for a second, someone jumped out of the forest and got in front of the moving jeep. "Shit!" Hakkai shouted as he stepped on the brakes.  
  
Seconds later, all the passengers were face flat on the ground. Hakuryu had transformed back to a little dragon.  
  
"I warn you! Don't ever do that again!" Nuriko grabbed the cute dragon and tried to strangle it. She gave an angry scream as Hakuryu bit her arm. While she chased Hakuryu around like a wild dog, the rest of the party stood up and looked at the person who almost got run over. Sanzo had his banishing gun in hand, just in case.  
  
It was a youkai. Its pointy ears, claws, and the birthmark on its face made everything clear, but there was also something different about the youkai.  
  
"Greetings to you. My name is Zanku." The demon said calmly.  
  
Sanzo raised his gun and spoke coldly as always, "What do you want? As far as I'm concerned, a youkai doesn't greet us. He tries to kill us."  
  
The demon gave out a warm smile. "Maybe you'll like it better if I look like this?" he asked as a headband appeared on his forehead. His birthmark disappeared, so did his claws, and his ears were no longer pointy. His eyes were blue like the sky with a hint of green in there. He was about 6ft tall with short golden hair. He wore a pair of jeans with a black T-shirt. He looked nothing different from your average teenage boy.  
  
"He's pretty handsome for a youkai." Sakura thought. She blushed as soon as the realized what she was thinking.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" Machi asked, but Sakura just shook her head.  
  
"What do you know? Here is one more youkai who hadn't lost his humanity." Gojyo teased.  
  
"He looks familiar." Yohina thought slowly, "and that smile, the voice. I've seen him somewhere, but where?"  
  
"My question still stands, demon. What do you want?" Sanzo asked. He didn't bother to share his "friends" amazement.  
  
"Always so cold, Kouzen Douji, aren't you?"  
  
"What?" Almost everyone shouted that in unison.  
  
"Oh, never mind that. I'm here for your girl companions. They deserve to know a little more about themselves. Come. I don't have all day." He said, turned around, and started to walk toward the forest.  
  
Everyone hesitated, but Yohina just walked forward. Zanku turned to look at her with the same kind smile. "No hesitations as always, huh? Just what you'd expect from a demontress such as yourself."  
  
Yohina just snorted. She didn't like demons that much, not to mention being called a demon. And demontress? She didn't give a shit. Seconds later, the rest of the four girls followed her.  
  
"You sure it's a good idea to let them go like this? After all, we know nothing about that Zanku." Hakkai whispered to Sanzo.  
  
"I never said that. A normal youkai wouldn't be so bold. Either he's really god or someone big is behind. My guess is Kougaiji or whoever is behind the resurrection. Now let's go." Sanzo said and walked forward. Hakkai turned around to ask the other two, but they just shrugged and followed behind.  
  
Just like that, three separate groups walked into the forest: Zanku by himself, the five girls, and the Sanzo party. Each group kept a respective distance from the other, all are waiting to discover something new.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the same time, in Hotu Castle...  
  
"What is it, Dr. Ni?" Lady Koushu asked, annoyed for being disturbed.  
  
"Lady Koushu, I have found another way to resurrect Gyumaoh, with the use of only one scripture and something else." Dr. Ni replied.  
  
"Oh really?" Lady Koushu suddenly showed interest. "And what might the other thing be?"  
  
"It is a crystal ball filled with power that was as old as a thousand years. It is the power of the demontress that was born with the world, the first evil of the world." Dr. Ni explained, happy to sense his lady's interest even though he didn't show it.  
  
"Where is this crystal ball located?" She inquired with eagerness. Dr. Ni grinned and whispered the answer to her. Minutes later, lady Koushu called in Kougaiji.  
  
"Be happy that we are you step closer to your father and mother's resurrection. You will see your mother alive again tomorrow if you just retrieve something for me." Lady Koushu got straight to the point for the first time.  
  
"What is it?"  
  
With a wicked smile, Lady Koushu told Kougaiji all the details. "Now go and fetch me that crystal ball. Remember, if you fail, you mother will stuck in the form for another day!"  
  
Without saying anything, Kougaiji left with his determination set on getting that crystal ball for his dear mother, and no one could stop him this time.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"How long till we get there?" Everyone was annoyed. They had been walking for hours, or so it seems. (It's only one hour.)  
  
"Almost there." Zanku retorted without turning back to look.  
  
Minutes later, the forest came to an end and they were facing a steep cliff wall. "Don't tell me that we have to climb that." Vessica complained first.  
  
"I'm not going to. Get ready. This might be a little painful for all of you." Zanku gave them a serious warning. There was nothing playful in his tone anymore. Everyone suddenly felt as if they were attending a funeral.  
  
Facing the cliff wall, Zanku put his right hand against the wall. He muttered something, and to everybody's amazement, a part of the wall disappeared and showed an entrance to a dark cave. Yet, before anyone could even move, a strong wind blew out of the cave and hit the visitors, but it wasn't just any normal wind. Yohina fell on her knees almost immediately. All the others felt queasy and light-headed. Zanku watched them, expressionless.  
  
"What's this feeling? Everything is spinning!" Hakkai mumbled as he tried to keep his balance.  
  
"You! You tricked us." Sanzo cursed as he took out his gun.  
  
"Stop it! Stop it!" Yohina's terrible scream shocked everyone. She was shaking terribly now with large drops of perspiration on her forehead. Her arms were wrapped around herself protectively as if to protect herself from something.  
  
"What did you do to her?" Gojyo asked with his weapon out.  
  
"Nothing. That was only something to prove that I found the right people, and it seems that I have." Zanku's answer was emotionless.  
  
"Damn! My back is burning. It hurts!" A voice in Yohina's head screamed, "Somebody help me!"  
  
"Take my hand." Zanku's calm voice rang in her mind. She looked and saw him standing in front of her with his right hand reached out. Slowly, she took it, doubting for the first time if she should trust him or not, but his eyes, they were so kind and caring. Yohina didn't know that such kindness could exist in one person.  
  
Hakkai and Gojyo stopped forward offensively at Yohina's movement, but Sanzo stopped them. "I think it's time that we know more about those girls."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Hakkai, when did you start to care for them? For all we know, those girls could be assassins. You never know." Gojyo remarked with a smile. Hakkai didn't do anything anymore.  
  
When their hands touched, the pain went away slowly, but she still felt something wanting to come out. "Don't struggle anymore. Let it out. Set it free." Yohina heard Zanku's voice and looked at him. He just smiled and nodded at her.  
  
Before, Yohina hadn't realized it, but now, she knew he was right. She had been struggling too hard. The truth will always be the truth. She can't change who or what she is. The only thing she can do is to accept it. Slowly, she stopped fighting and accept everything that she knew about who she was, who she is, and who she will be. The wings came out gradually. They were black feathered, but gave out a weird light at first. No matter what, they were beautiful. Yohina felt free. The wings gave her comfort, but it also drained her of her strength. She stood up, but collapsed almost instantly. Zanku caught her in his arms and held her.  
  
"Thank you..." She murmured before losing consciousness.  
  
"So that's what she is, the Demontress Hara." Sanzo grumbled unhappily, regretting the day that he allowed the girls to follow them.  
  
"And those four, they are her guardian angels." Hakkai finished Sanzo's sentence.  
  
"More like destroyers, if the legend was correct." Gojyo remarked.  
  
Goku and the other four girls were clueless, but they will soon find out about a lot of things that they thought could only happen in their wildest fantasies.  
  
This chapt is rather short compared to others, don't u think? Well, I still have problems thinking up chapter titles, so I might change this one once the whole story is finished, which I think will take forever. First, I'm stuck on what to write for the next chapter. There are just so many little details I have to take care of. Sometimes I wished that I didn't like writing at all. Anyway...I'm stuck, so any ideas? 


	13. Awakening

I am so so so so sorry that this is even a longer chap than all the others. Remember that I told you that I was stuck? Well, when I got over that point, I couldn't stop writing, especially the part about Yohina and Kyle.  
  
I know, I know. I should focus mainly on the adventure part, but I like writing a little bit romance sometimes, and I didn't want Hakkai, Gojyo, Goku, and Sanzo to fall in love, yet, so I had to write about the other couple. Hehehe... Anyway, hope you like it.  
  
Chapter Twelve—Awakening  
  
When Yohina woke up, she saw that she was in a chamber of some kind. The first thing she saw was Zanku's smile. She felt herself blushing as she sat up and looked around.  
  
The place was bigger than she thought. It was like a temple. The high ceiling was at least 50 ft tall and was supported by all of the thick, wooden poles. Everyone else was looking around and didn't seem to notice that she was awake. Four candles on each of the four walls lighted the room. The iron gate was too her right. There were tables and chairs lined around the wall to her left as if a meeting was taking place. Yet, only one thing really caught her interest. It was a stone statue of a woman with wings holding a glowing crystal ball. Well, she wasn't exactly holding it. The crystal ball was actually floating between the woman's palms.  
  
Mesmerized, Yohina stood up and walked toward it. Just as she was reaching for it, someone grabbed her hand. She looked up and saw Sanzo starting at her. "Don't touch it."  
  
"Why?"  
  
Zanku walked over and waited. When everybody's attention was on him, he reached up and took the crystal ball in his own hands.  
  
"What is it?" Vessica inquired.  
  
"This is what called the five of you into this world. I was its eternal guardian, but it had been restless for a long time."  
  
"That thing called them here? Is it...?" Zanku nodded before Hakkai could finish his sentence.  
  
"There was a legend about a demontress whose destructive power was sealed by the Gods a thousand years ago when the world was still young. This crystal ball holds that power. It had been waiting for the day when its master would return and reclaim it. You are its master." Zanku's reply was directed to Yohina.  
  
"I don't want it. I'm perfectly fine without it. Besides, I don't want to be some demontress." Yohina rejected the offer.  
  
"You don't seem to understand the importance of this, Yohina. The demontress, Hara, was once a fighting puppet for the Gods. When she rebelled, she took four guardian angels with her: the Guardian of Wind, Ice, Water, and Earth. They are your four friends here. When you were sealed, the guardians' powers were also sealed, by a vow. They vowed that until that their sins can be lifted, their true powers shall not awaken by themselves, but only by Hara. Hara is also the one who will be able to lift away their sins, because the reason that the Gods were able to seal Hara was their betrayal. The Gods, knowing that Hara will one day return, put a curse on her. Her soul shall not be free unless she could destroy the evil that will threaten the world in the far future. Right now, Gyumaoh is about to be awakened. His powers are almost as strong as Hara's, but he is also the evil in the Gods' curse. If you could destroy Gyumaoh once and for all, not just seal him like Prince Nataku did 500 years ago, but completely destroy him from this universe, the Gods will set your soul free."  
  
"Set my soul free from what?"  
  
Zanku sighed. He didn't seem to enjoy explaining everything. "You'll find out, very soon."  
  
"That's not a good enough answer! I want to know!" Yohina demanded.  
  
"And what's that got to do with us?" Sanzo asked with his arms crossed.  
  
"Well, Goku was just like Hara, except he didn't receive such a severe punishment like Hara did, because he had you three. When he was born 500 years ago, the Gods planned to use him like they used Hara and Prince Nataku. During that time, Hakkai doubted the Gods about their motive for moving the army westward. The Gods found out about this, and..."  
  
"Shut up, Zanku." Another cloaked figure suddenly appeared high above the statue. Nobody was really surprised anymore. They've seen or heard worse. "You are telling them more than you should. Remember, your job is to make sure that girl accepts who she was. The job for telling them the past is not yours and not now." After finishing those words, he disappeared immediately.  
  
There was pain on Zanku's face. He looked everybody, all waiting for an explanation, but he can't give out any. No matter how hard he tried to deny it, he had gone too far with his explanation.  
  
It was Yohina who broke the heavy silence.  
  
"Zanku, give me that sphere. I'll accept it." She requested with a sad smile.  
  
Zanku and everyone else looked shocked. "Are you sure? That could have been a trick!" Gojyo warned her.  
  
"I don't think it was. I hardly trust my instincts, but they were always right. Sometimes when I didn't trust them, I went down the wrong path. It happened to me many times, so this time, I'm going to trust them, just this once. Besides, if what you say is true, then I am the only one who could truly tap into my friends' powers. I'll need them to defeat Gyumaoh along with them." Yohina said as she turned to face Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, and Hakkai, "It's not only because I want my soul to be free, but also because I want my normal life back."  
  
Zanku smiled at her words. "You have changed, Yohina, from the girl I knew and watched over. Here. It's yours." He gave the crystal ball to Yohina. Yohina was surprised by his words. She didn't know what he meant by "watched over." "So he had been beside me this whole time? That's impossible." She thought, but he does seem familiar. She could swear that she knew him before today.  
  
All those thoughts left Yohina as the crystal ball touched her skin. Without knowing, her wings came out. All those around her felt the immense power released by the sphere. Almost immediately, her friends were wrapped inside of a small tornado formed from the elements they belong to. Machi was wrapped around by flying rocks; Nuriko by ice; Sakura by water; Vessica by air. Out of the four of them, only Vessica truly knew her power and the way it feels to have something so powerful inside of you. To the other three, that was an all new experience, but it felt comfortable, as if that power belongs inside of them.  
  
"This could take a long time." Zanku muttered to Sanzo playful all of the sudden, startling the four men who were watching an awesome show, even though only Goku showed that astonished expression. Sanzo looked at him and saw him pointing at the gate. Standing there were Kougaiji, Lirin, Yaone, Dokugakuji, and some 15 other demons. They all had an astonished look on their face at what was going on inside of the room.  
  
"Looks like our little playmate is here." Gojyo commented with a smirk.  
  
The amazed look disappeared when Kougaiji saw Sanzo and the others. "Why must you follow us everywhere?" Sanzo complained as his banishing gun appeared in hand.  
  
"We are not following you. Now, hand over that crystal!" Kougaiji shouted as they stepped into the room.  
  
"Sorry, pal, but if you want to risk your life entering that force- field, be my guest." Zanku stepped up and replied with a polite smile.  
  
They turned to look, and sure enough, there was a force-field around the girls. None of them seemed to notice what was going on outside as they absorbed everything that the crystal had released. Even Yohina, whose powers were already awakened, seemed to be absorbing in a little of her friends' power. No wonder she was the demontress.  
  
"Well then, I'll get rid all of you first." Kougaiji said and ordered the demons to attack.  
  
"Ch. You don't seriously think those guys could defeat us, do you?" Sanzo was annoyed as he fired twice. Two screams rang in the room and two demons disappeared.  
  
"While we are waiting, we might as well have some fun with these guys." Gojyo said and pulled out his weapon.  
  
"You're on, bro." Dokugakuji grinned. Then, both sides charged and met each other head on.  
  
Zanku didn't get involved in the fight. He knew that his powers weren't needed. He just waited for the awakening to be over. Soon, Yohina was back to herself and she walked out of the force-field. Yet, she didn't have the sphere with her. The sphere was still inside, continuing to release power. Her mission was just to set it off. Now that she had finished with that, it was just a matter of time before her friends regain their "ancient" power, according to Zanku.  
  
"Looks like they are having fun." Yohina said with a hungry look in her eyes. Zanku gasped and suddenly realized that this wasn't the old Yohina who was talking. Her eyes had turned golden, like Goku's, like Hara's.  
  
He didn't say anything. As he expected, Yohina soon joined to fight, but something about her startled him, the angry and murderous look on her face. It was someone who clearly enjoyed killing. It was the face Hara had when she rebelled, the face that enjoyed seeing sufferings.  
  
Soon, the force-field disappeared and all of the girls had a smile on their face. They felt refreshed after the new energy inside of their body. Better, they all felt like fighting someone right now. After handing the sphere to Zanku, the girls got into a fighting stance and joined the fight.  
  
By that time, all of the lower demons had been killed, and it soon was nine against four. It wasn't really fair, but nobody cared. Yet, the one dominating the battlefield was Yohina. She didn't know it, but her attacks were hurting both her friends and enemies.  
  
"Shit! What does she think she was doing? I almost got killed!" Gojyo shouted after Yohina's flame almost burned him into ashes.  
  
"Step back! All of you! She's out of control!" Zanku suddenly jumped in and ordered them.  
  
"Are you crazy! You can step back! But I'm going to take her! With that much power, she can revive Mother in no time and kill that bitch Koushu!" Kougaiji's mind was made up as he challenged Yohina once again. Yet, even before he had gotten within striking range, a strong wind hit him and sent him flying onto the wall.  
  
"Hey! That's suppose to be my power! You thief!" Vessica shouted, half meaning it as a joke. Yet, Yohina didn't take it as a joke. She turned to look at her friend. Her cold look sent shivers down Vessica's spines.  
  
"Oh really?" Yohina sneered as she raised her hand and sent a handful of wind at Vessica. The pressure was immense. Even Vessica, who had more experience in fighting, wasn't able to move. She felt as if she was stuck. Hakkai wanted to jump in and block Yohina's attack, but Zanku was one step faster than he was.  
  
"Shit! I didn't think it would get this bad." He muttered as he carelessly set up a barrier to block the attack. Once the wind passed, everyone saw that Zanku had the crystal ball in hand. Then he suddenly disappeared and then appeared in front of Yohina within a second. Shock showed in Yohina's face. With a determined look, Zanku pushed the crystal ball into Yohina's body, at where her heart was. Everyone gasped as they saw the crystal ball melt into Yohina's body. Moments later, Yohina's golden eyes turned back to its old hazel color.  
  
"Zanku, I..." Yohina wasn't able to finish her sentence, because the whole room started to collapse.  
  
"Damn! What's happening?" Hakkai shouted up at Zanku.  
  
"There's no time to explain! We have to get out of here!"  
  
Then, immediately after he shout out those words, everybody started to run toward the entrance. "You're not getting out of here this easy!" Kougaiji said and chased them.  
  
Zanku waited for everybody to get out before him and suddenly stopped Kougaiji and his followers. "Kougaiji, even if you do her biddings, she will not revive your mother. Believe me or not, Koushu has a lot on her mind than just reviving Gyumaoh." He told Kougaiji and then left.  
  
"What?" For a moment, Kougaiji couldn't move. It was only when Yaone shouted at him did he realize the danger he was in. Brushing away the worries in his mind, he rushed out of the gate. As he emerged outside in the forest, he heard a loud rumble inside of the mountain as if the whole mountain was crushing down.  
  
* * * * *  
  
"You're leaving now?" Yohina couldn't believe it when Zanku led them back to the main road and suddenly turned away.  
  
"My job is done, but I will be seeing you guys around."  
  
"Can't you at least tell me why I went berserk back there?"  
  
"No time. Have another job to do. Tell you the next time."  
  
"You still haven't told us what part we play in this little game of yours." Sanzo was pissed off.  
  
"I can't. The rest is up to all of you, not just one. Whatever happens, follow your heart." Zanku said and then turned to Yohina. He walked over to her and muttered, "I have one more thing to tell you."  
  
Yohina looked up at him with question in her eyes. With a smile, Zanku bent down and whispered some words to Yohina. After hearing those, Yohina's face turned completely red. Zanku just smiled teasingly at her. She turned away from him. "Well, good luck." He said and disappeared.  
  
"Well, what did he say?" Machi suddenly asked mischievously.  
  
"No...nothing."  
  
"Oh really? Come on, he probably said something like 'oh, you're so beautiful, I love you so much, or I can't stop thinking about you.' Something like that, right?" Gojyo asked with a grin.  
  
"No! He did not!" Yohina shouted out even though her face gave out the answer.  
  
The others just laughed at her. She turned away and tried to ignore their "stupid" comments. Then she suddenly realized that she had to get back. "What time is it?"  
  
Machi looked at her watch because hers doesn't only tell time but also the date. "It's Tuesday, 9 in the morning." She answered casually.  
  
"What? Tuesday?" Yohina almost screamed. Machi did the same thing and looked back at her watch again. "Shit! I have a project due today and I'm not even half through with it yet."  
  
"Who cares about school anyway?" Gojyo remarked.  
  
"I do! You do not know the torture I have to go through after missing those days of school! If you ever met someone like Kyle, you would probably kill him on your first meeting! Just thinking about staying with him for more than tonight and one Friday again gives me the shivers." Yohina said with hatred and anger.  
  
"From the way you talk about him, I have a feeling that we'll become good friends already." Gojyo teased.  
  
"Oh, just shut the fuck up. If any of you are like Kyle, I would rather be alone and kill that Koushu woman." Yohina said to Gojyo, then she turned to Machi, "Get a portal open already."  
  
"All right." Machi frowned. Seconds later, Yohina was walking into the portal. "Aren't you guys coming?"  
  
"Nah. Don't want to go to school. Besides, now that we've got our powers, I think I'm going to kick some demon asses just for the thrill of it." Nuriko grinned.  
  
"I don't like the sound of that." Hakkai really didn't sound happy.  
  
"Wait! Can I go with you? I really want to see you world! Please!" Goku was acting all innocent and cute like a young boy.  
  
"Geez, your stupidity is getting on my nerves. I don't understand why I didn't just shoot you when I met you." Sanzo said and grabbed Goku's collar.  
  
"Come on!" Goku sounded as if he was going to cry.  
  
Yohina just ignored him and walked through the portal since no one was going to with. As for Machi, she decided to stay even though her project was due just like Yohina's.  
  
Once Yohina was gone, Sanzo turned to the girls. "Come on. Let's go. We have some serious talking and ass-kicking to do before your friend comes back."  
  
* * * * *  
  
Once back, Yohina noticed that it was ten o'clock. She guessed that an hour had passed in the portal even though it only seemed to be one second. She was outside of her house. Her parents had gone to work. She didn't know how they dealt with her disappearance this time, but she decided not to think about it now.  
  
Luckily for her, she had her house keys. After getting in, she found her backpack on the chair. It suddenly struck her that she had taken the backpack with her into Saiyuki, but why was it here? Oh, it didn't really matter, as long as it wasn't a trap of some kind.  
  
Yohina looked into the garage and saw that she was completely lucky that day. Her parents just took one car. Fumbling through her parents' room and the living room, she found the extra set of car keys and took off. Her parents didn't like her to drive because she was really impatient and careless, but she did get her license last year when she turned 16. "Geez, it wasn't like I'm going to play with my life." She thought as she sat there, driving.  
  
There were some spaces left in the student parking lot, so she parked her car there. Grabbing her stuff, she sneaked into the building from the back. Just as she walked in, the bell rang. "Yes!" She shouted to herself as the empty hallways suddenly became swarmed with students. With a victorious smile, she walked to her locker and quickly got out her stuff for 3rd period. She slided into her seat just as the bell ring.  
  
Of course, there were questions asked about where she was on Monday. Some of her friends had heard about her disappearance from her mom, and also about the other four girls'. Yet, Yohina kept her mouth shut, thinking about how she was going to get past Kyle and skip tutorials and the project. "Shit! The project! I forgot about it!" She shot up from her chair and rushed out of the cafeteria to the library.  
  
For once in her life, she was thankful for Kyle, since he had made her to do her project last Tuesday. "Well, I'll just be nicer to him." She thought as she walked out of the library 20 minutes later.  
  
With her project out of the way, she didn't have anything to worry about. The rest of the day passed like a blur since everything they did was reviewing. Yohina almost forgot that their finals were next week, but it wasn't like she has to worry about anything. She knows her stuff.  
  
After the last bell, she slipped away as quickly as possible. She packed herself and ran into the parking lot. She sighed as she got in the car. "Safe." She thought and started the car. Then she heard a banging sound and turned to look and saw Kyle sitting next to her on the passenger seat.  
  
"Wah! Where'd you come from?"  
  
"You didn't think you could slip away that easily, did you? Now drive!" He ordered.  
  
"Get out! I don't want to go to your place!"  
  
"Where were you again? You ditched me on Friday, so Janice trapped me when I was waiting for you. Then you weren't home this whole weekend. You weren't here this morning either, then this afternoon, poof! You suddenly popped out of nowhere. I bet you didn't get anything done. Now let's get out of here!"  
  
Frowning, Yohina gave up. She knew it was no use arguing with him now. Guess her luck wasn't with her this whole time. Later, on the road, she found out that Kyle's car broke down and he had to have it fixed. That was why he tried to hitch a ride from her, using the word "tutorial."  
  
Twenty minutes later, they were at his place. Yet, his parents were home. They met her with warmth. Yohina never thought that a cruel guy like Kyle could have such kind parents. Compared to her own, she wished suddenly that they were her parents.  
  
"Let's go to my room. We can't stay use the study room since Dad's home. Geez, what are they doing at home this early anyways?" Kyle complained as Yohina followed him upstairs.  
  
When they were in his room, Kyle threw his backpack carelessly in the corner. "You get started! I need a shower." He said and left.  
  
"Don't order me around!" Yohina wanted to scream, but didn't when she remembered that Kyle's parents were downstairs.  
  
When the bathroom door closed, she sat down on a chair and got her stuff out on the desk. Looking around, she realized that Kyle got a pretty nice room, almost twice as big as hers. On the walls were posters of different rock bands and some nice family pictures. There was a closet to the right of the bed and she was sitting by the desk to the left of the queen-size bed. For a guy, the desk was pretty neat, with papers stacked together but not spread out everything, but Yohina just guessed that it was because Kyle never studied in his own room. Opposite of the bed was the bathroom door. There were two posters of Linkin Park on there. Somehow, she found herself envying him all of the sudden.  
  
Looking at her homework, she sighed. Damn, how she wished that someone would do this for her. Five minutes later, she couldn't find her ruler, but soon saw that it was under a stack of papers near the right corner of the desk. She pulled at it. She yanked it out, but the papers also fell on the floor. Grumbling unhappily, she bent down and started collecting them. When everything was on the desk again, she saw a paper bag still lying on the floor. Curiously, she opened it and looked into it. Just as she pulled a stack of pictures out, someone grabbed the pictures from her.  
  
"What do you think you're doing?" She was startled as she turned around to look. Kyle was standing right behind her with the pictures in hand. His hair was still damp from the shower. He was only wearing a pair of shorts and a towel was hanging down his neck. Then Yohina realized how close they were. She could feel the warmth of his breath.  
  
Getting nervous, she stood up. "Nothing. I was just wondering why the bag was heavy." Then she stole another look at Kyle. He was about 6 ft 4 in tall with his blond hair a little crumbled and messy. His eyes were greenish blue. Looking at him, she wondered why hadn't she realized that he was so hot before? Yet, as she thought about it, she started blushing and looked away.  
  
"What's wrong?" Kyle asked in an innocent tone as he walked back toward the closet to get out a clean shirt.  
  
"No...nothing."  
  
Suddenly, mischief showed in his eyes. Taking out a shirt, he turned to ask, "You just thought that I'm hot. Right?"  
  
"Are you out of your mind? I would never think that!" Her face turned redder as she said those words. Then she changed the subject. "Oh, can I see those pictures?"  
  
"No!" Kyle blurted it too quickly and caused Yohina to be suspicious. She caught a hint of red on his face.  
  
"Come on! I really want to see it!" She demanded and walked over to him to grab the pictures.  
  
"Let go! I said no!" He raised the pictures high up so she can't reach them and turned away from the closet with the shirt still in the other hand. He was smart in doing that, since she was much shorter and he had longer arms.  
  
"Just let me see it! What's wrong with those pictures?" She asked persistently and tried to jump up to get the pictures. Kyle still wouldn't give in as she tried to grab them. Then, with a deep determination, she jumped up from the ground and grabbed them.  
  
"Ha! Got it!" She said with a victorious smile, but then realized that she was falling onto Kyle. "Ahh!" She screamed and dropped the pictures as the two of them fell down onto the ground.  
  
"God, can you be stupider?" Kyle complained as he tried to sit up even though Yohina was on top of him, but Yohina wasn't listening to him. She was staring at the pictures to his right. He turned to look and realized that the pictures are now all scattered across the floor. "Shit! Looks like I'll have a lot of explaining to do." He thought.  
  
When Yohina turned over to look at him with questions in her eyes, he pulled her down into his arms and kissed her.  
  
So how is it? Kyle likes Yohina, it's really obvious, isn't it, but I wonder what'll Yohina think? She's a pretty complicated girl, and likes contradicting herself. It'll take her a long time to know what to do.  
  
Review plz. I'm kinda lacking it ya know.... *cries* 


	14. Confessions, Part I

Well, have a little surprise for ya in this chap. Hehehehe...  
  
Oh, and about describing that kiss, I didn't plan on it. Good suggestion, I should, and I will, in future chaps, but I guess you can say I did describe how Yohina felt about it, just in a very different way.  
  
R&R Plz  
  
Chapter Thirteen—Confessions, Part I  
  
Yohina's whole body froze. Literally, she just froze. It was so unexpected. Her mind went blank for a second. Out of all the guys, her first kiss, it had to be Kyle. Before she could do anything, or feel anything, someone disrupted their little "moment," but she was very very thankful for it.  
  
"Kyle, you guys OK? I heard a little crash downstairs." Kyle's father was by the door. Yohina thanked God that the two of them fell on the other side of the bed, so that it blocked Kyle's dad's view, or what would he think when he saw his son lying on the floor, with a girl on top of him, kissing?  
  
At the sound, Kyle immediately broke the kiss, but Yohina could tell from his eyes that this wasn't over yet. All of those pictures, she was in every one of them. She had no idea where Kyle had gotten them, since Kyle was not one of her "closest" friends, but it wouldn't be that hard, since Kevin had probably taken all of those.  
  
The two of them stood up slowly, acting as if nothing had happened. "We're fine. We just fell. That's all." Kyle replied with a smile.  
  
"OK." His dad said even though there was obvious doubt on his face. "Just be more careful. Don't make too much noise. Your mother's resting. We're going to be going to a cocktail party in downtown tonight. There's money left for you on the kitchen counter." His dad's said and left.  
  
Yohina and Kyle looked at each other for a moment. Then, taking two quick steps, Yohina went to the desk, stuffed her things in her backpack, and started out.  
  
As she opened the door, Kyle pushed it close with a loud bang and cornered her against the wall. "Where do you think you're going?" He asked, kind of viciously.  
  
"Look, I don't know what that hell happened back there!" Yohina said, looking at where the two of them fell and then back at Kyle. "I just think that you need to cool off, man. Maybe you have a fever or something. It's better if I go. I'll call you back later." She tried to walk away again, but Kyle wouldn't let her.  
  
"I know perfectly what happened!" He hissed. "I kissed you. That's what happened! No, I don't need to cool off! I know what I'm doing! And I'm going to tell you everything now!"  
  
"Tell me what?"  
  
For a moment, he didn't answer and just looked at her. Then, he leaned closer to her. When their lips were about to touch again, she turned away. Surprisingly, Kyle didn't do anything. He put his mouth against her right ear and whispered, "I loved you for so long, ever since I first met you. You were so special to me somehow. Yet, I didn't believe in true love at such a young age. I avoided you and thought that I could forget you. It was easy. You weren't a cheerleader or that type of girl, so I had nothing to do with you, but when Kevin starting dating Takeya, everything changed. At first, you would talk to me about Kevin and I would find myself jealous even when I knew you didn't have any feelings for him. It was before the two of us started hating each other. Sometimes I just wanted to kiss you while you talked, but that was what caused our first fight. Remember?"  
  
Yohina thought back. It had seemed so long ago, three years. It happened two months after she went to high school. She was talking to Kyle, gathering information about Kevin as always. Yet, that day, when the two of them were alone, he suddenly wrapped his arms around her and acted weird, just like now. Before he could do anything, she slapped him and called him a pervert. Thinking back now, she smiled. She was so foolish, but that time, she'd heard about Kyle's bad reputation, so she didn't do anything and just reacted. Then they started fighting and bickering whenever they see each other.  
  
"It was funny, wasn't it? You thought I was just some pervert, but I was actually very serious about you. I just didn't know how to tell you. Three years, I've dated Janice when I'm really in love with you. I kept telling myself that you wouldn't give a damn about me and finally decided to give up. When Tyler showed up, I sometime wished that I could be him, and talk to you, comfort you like he did. But I knew I couldn't do it. I'm not like him. Whenever we are together, we fight, and I guess that's what stopped me from telling you. When you first disappeared weeks ago, I suddenly realized that I was losing you, not to anyone, but just losing you.  
  
"I wished that I knew where you were all those times. I wished that I could talk to you, maybe even fight with you, but you didn't even look at me once ever since you returned. I suddenly realized that I'd regret it my whole life if I don't ever tell you my feelings. I realized how much it hurt to be there without you. I'm a senior this year, and I probably won't ever see you again after graduating, but I just want to know. I want to give myself a chance to be with you, so I don't have to experience the pain of losing you."  
  
Kyle looked at Yohina sadly. It was an expression that she had never expected him to use. Actually, it was something that she thought someone like him couldn't feel, but she guessed that was too harsh on him. No matter how much she hated him, he's still human.  
  
Yohina tried to think. She tried to understand those simple words. For a moment, she just stared at him stupidly, wanting to ask, "What did you say?" Now that she thought about it, she remember that warm tinkling feeling she felt when their lips touched. Yet, the first thing that entered her mind was that he's playing a big big joke on her.  
  
"I...I need to go." That was the only thing she could say. Kyle looked stunned. She pushed him away before he could do anything, opened the door, and rushed down the stairs as quickly as she could. Kyle's dad certainly looked amazed that she was leaving this quick, but she made no attempt to explain and got into her car as quickly as possible.  
  
Once she was home, she slammed the door quickly as if Kyle was right behind her. Knowing that she was safe, she took a deep breath and calmed herself. She had to think, so much for trying to catch up with her work. She tried to call her friends, but remembered that four of them are all in Saiyuki, and the others will just tease her instead of giving her ideas. "This sucks!" She thought as she sat there in her room alone, trying to think.  
  
She tried to get her mind off of everything by doing homework. For once, it worked. Her parents soon got back and were pleased that she was back. There were questions asked, of course, but it wasn't like Yohina would tell them anything. She was glad that her parents hardly paid her any attention after thirty minutes.  
  
After dinner, the phone rang. She picked it up and from the voice of the caller, she knew it was Kyle. "What do you want?" She asked coldly.  
  
"We need to talk, Yohina. I'm sorry about my sudden outburst today. I couldn't control it. I want you to know that..." "Wait, let's not talk about this over the phone. Do you have time tonight? I'll meet you in the park at 8:30 if you want." Yohina interrupted him.  
  
There was a long silence. "OK. Bye." He sounded depressed.  
  
When Yohina got to the park, she was glad that there were a lot of people around. At least no one will notice the two of them within this crowd. She looked around and saw Kyle sitting on one of the benches to her left. She walked over and sat down beside him.  
  
"Hey..." He muttered quietly. She knew that he was just as nervous as she was. It would be funny to see him like this if the situation didn't involve herself in it.  
  
"Hey." She said back and then there was a long silence before any of them said anything. Finally, Yohina broke the silence. She couldn't stand it anymore.  
  
"Look, I'm sorry that I freaked out earlier. I was really surprised. You should know. No offense or anything, but you are the last guy on my list that I thought I would hear those words from. It was just...scary, I guess."  
  
"Yeah, I know." He grumbled unhappily.  
  
"To tell the truth, you're the first guy that's ever said those words to me. That's another reason that I freaked out. Look, a lot of things have been happening lately and I don't really want to get into a relationship right now. Besides, the two of us isn't what you would call an 'ideal' couple." She said as she tried to force a smile. "I think that we should try to become friends first, friends that don't try to kill each other whenever we see each other."  
  
Kyle smiled. Yohina had to admit that he was so handsome. If it was under different circumstances, she would have loved to be his girlfriend, or rather, just to be with him. "You're right. We should be friends first. Well, I'll see you in school tomorrow. Oh, try to do your homework, will you?" He added before he left.  
  
"That's exactly the kind of comment I don't need." Yohina thought grumpily and walked home.  
  
* * * * *  
  
Two Days Later...  
  
"Like me, yeah right." Yohina thought as she looked across the cafeteria and saw Kyle flirting with the cheerleaders that didn't have any boyfriends. He didn't even say "hello" to her this morning when she saw him on the bus.  
  
"Looks like your boyfriend is having fun." Jason teased her as he sat down beside her.  
  
"He is not my boyfriend, and if he keeps flirting with those girls, he never will be!" Yohina slammed her drink down on the table and spilled it everywhere.  
  
"Watch it, Yo! Don't take your anger out on us!" Takeya yelled and quickly removed her stuff. She was doing her homework while eating.  
  
"Well, you are jealous, which means that you definitely have feelings for him, so just go tell him." Kevin urged her.  
  
"Jealous? You've got to be kidding. I haven't sunk low enough to be jealous for someone like that! And why are you here? Shouldn't you be sitting with your jock friends?" Yohina spit back at him. She was jealous. Everybody could see that.  
  
Takeya tried to stifle a laugh. "He is my boyfriend, you know. I don't want him to sit by those good-for-nothing cheerleaders. You should do the same thing with Kyle."  
  
Yohina stood up angrily. "I'm out of here." She said, grabbed her trash, and threw them away. On the way out, she deliberately walked by Kyle's table and kicked him harshly. Kyle shot up angrily. "Hey, watch it, b..." The last word didn't come out when he saw it was Yohina. He smiled despite of himself and chased her outside.  
  
"If you're jealous, you could just say it instead of kicking me so hard." Kyle said as he walked along with Yohina in the hallway.  
  
"I'm not jealous. I didn't kick you on purpose. Your leg was in the way. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to the library to spend some alone time." She said coldly without looking at him.  
  
"Oh, but you are jealous." Kyle grabbed her and forced her against the wall. With their faces so close, Yohina blushed. "I said I wasn't jealous!" She tried to push him away. They were so lucky that there was nobody else around.  
  
"Come on, just admit it. You do have feelings for me." Kyle stepped back and said.  
  
Yohina looked at him for a minute before the thought hit her. "You did that just to see if I'm jealous?" She inquired.  
  
Kyle shrugged and turned away. "I guess you could say that. I want to see that angry face of yours. You are the cutest when you get angry or embarrassed." He said with a smiled. "Now, are you coming or not?" He walked away without waiting for Yohina's reply.  
  
"Oh, you want to see me angry, don't you?" She thought to herself and chased after him. Here's something for you! Once she was right behind him, she raised her foot and kicked him on the spine, sending him sprawling on the floor.  
  
"Get out of my way, you asshole!" She said and walked past him arrogantly.  
  
Kyle got up seconds later with the feeling that his spine had split in two. He looked after Yohina with angrily, not at her, but at himself. "Damn, girls can be such a pain at times." He thought.  
  
* * * * *  
  
While Yohina and Kyle were having their little "jealousy" discussion, Vessica and Hakkai were facing a life and death situation.  
  
They were separated from the others in the party because of Chin Yisou. It seemed that they were lost in a forest and even Hakuryu's good sense of direction couldn't get them out. Vessica looked around nervously, acting as if Chin Yisou could pop up anytime anywhere and kill the two of them.  
  
"Don't be so nervous. If the worst comes, I'll hold him off and let you run away." Hakkai said half serious half joking.  
  
"Don't say things like that. We are in this together. I'm not a defenseless girl. I won't abandon you. Besides..." Vessica trailed off.  
  
"Besides what?"  
  
"Well...Chin Yisou is here on revenge for his clan that you killed because of Kanan, and when the subject drifts off to Kanan and the people you care about, you tend to get confused. Sometimes you doubt yourself and your ability to protect the ones you love, but you should know that you are strong, Hakkai. Kanan's death wasn't your fault. You shouldn't blame yourself on it after this long."  
  
"Is that all you have to say?" Hakkai suddenly turned cold.  
  
"Hakkai, please don't..." "I don't want to hear it! Don't talk about Kanan in front of me. You don't know anything! If you know how I feel about it, then you wouldn't even mention her here!" Hakkai shouted. Vessica looked hurt.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"Looks like the two of you are getting acquainted. Maybe if I kill this girl here, you'd turn into your true self?" Chin Yisou suddenly appeared behind Vessica. Instantly, Vessica felt the cold fingers around her neck. Hakkai turned back, alarmed.  
  
"Now, how does it feel? If I kill this girl, would it remind you of the pain when you lost Kanan? Would it make you to turn into your true self and provide me with some more entertainment?" Chin Yisou sneered. Vessica felt the fingers tighten around her neck. She couldn't breath. "Hakkai..." She tried to call him, but it hurt. "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" She screamed as Chin Yisou's sharp nails penetrated her skin.  
  
"Vessica, hang on!" Hakkai yelled and charged with an energy ball. "Foolishness." Chin Yisou said as his nails grew sharper and longer. He pushed them through Vessica's stomach first and then moved away from Hakkai's attack. Vessica dropped to the ground with blood overflowing from her wound.  
  
"Shit! Vessica!!!! Vessica!!!" Hakkai shouted, oblivious to Chin Yisou's existence. Slowly, Vessica opened her eyes. "Thank Goodness." Hakkai sighed, but the wound is still bleeding.  
  
"Hakkai...I..." It was so hard. The pain was unbearable. "Don't say anything. I'll close the wound for you." Hakkai said and started to heal her.  
  
"I don't think so!" Chin Yisou was right behind Hakkai. His hand was raised and was ready to slash into Hakkai's back when Vessica, using the last of her strength, pushed herself on top of Hakkai. Chin Yisou's hands slashed five deep cuts on her back.  
  
"Why? Why do you keep saving me? You don't know anything about me!" Hakkai shouted when he realized that Vessica had just saved him again.  
  
"Because...because...I...love...you..." Vessica muttered slowly and lost consciousness.  
  
A little surprising, isn't it? Well, I know I should've described Hakkai and Vessica closely, but I've been too cooped up with Kyle and Yohina, ya know. I hope this will work. I'll work on the two of them further, I guess.  
  
Sorry that I skipped Sanzo, Goku, and Gojyo out in the chap. They probably won't appear in the next chap either, well, maybe they will, for a little part. This chap and the next one are mainly for the romantic part, ya see, so I guess I didn't make everybody a couple. LOL. But...there will be a sequel coming! Yes, a sequel! And I'll see what I can do in there.  
  
Oh, just a note, Hara is another character I made up, but there is a character that's much like her, though, in the show. Homura, the prince of war. Another one, I'm blabbering now, but last thing, Gojyo and Sanzo just became my favorite character in the show, after I read Saiyuki Gaiden, which is set in 500 years ago. DAMN THEY'RE SO COOL!!!!!!!!!! 


	15. Confessions, Part II

R/R plz.  
  
Chapter Fourteen—Confessions, Part II  
  
Chin Yisou attacked again before Hakkai could respond to what Vessica had just told him. It came all so sudden. Instinctively, he grabbed Vessica and darted out of the way. Her words had only settled on him a few seconds later. At first, he felt as if he was in a bad joke of some sort, but deep down, he knew that Vessica wouldn't play that kind of games.  
  
While his mind fumbled over what to do or what to think, his body functioned on its own and avoided Chin Yisou's continuous attacks. Luckily for him, Sanzo and the rest of the party soon arrived.  
  
"What happened to her?" Sakura asked as Hakkai put Vessica's body on the ground while Gojyo and Goku held off Chin Yisou.  
  
"She blocked some hits for me. I'm going to close her wounds, but I'm not sure how long it'll take her to wake up." Hakkai answered as calmly as he could. He might not have the same feelings for Vessica as she for him, but he couldn't let her die because of him. He couldn't let her die like Kanan.  
  
"Blocked some hits for you, huh? Must be in a pretty tight situation there." Sanzo lit a cigarette as he half watched the fight and also Hakkai's healing process.  
  
Hakkai forced a smile on his face. "Yes, it was. Who would have thought a little girl like her would have courage like that?"  
  
Sanzo didn't say anything. It was obvious to him that Hakkai was lying, but it wasn't his job to find out why. Rather, he paid all of his attention to the fight that was going on. It seemed that Chin Yisou was hell of an opponent. Even with the three girls, Gojyo, and Goku, he was still not down yet, but since the five allies fought each other constantly, no wonder Chin Yisou was able to get away several times.  
  
Soon, Machi and Gojyo started bickering again. Sanzo sighed with irritation, raised his gun, and fired at their direction. The bullet passed between Gojyo and Machi and hit a tree behind them. The two of them turned on the monk.  
  
"Hey, what's the big idea?" Machi screamed.  
  
"Are you two just plain stupid? Why don't kill each other while you're at it?" Sanzo said with arrogance.  
  
"Shut up! We're going to kill each other afterwards. Where's that shit now?" Gojyo asked when he didn't find Chin Yisou around.  
  
Then came a scream. Everybody turned to look and saw that something that looked like vines had wrapped itself around Sakura, Nuriko, and Goku. Goku was trying to find it off frantically, but it just got tighter and tighter around him. Nuriko tried freezing the vines, but then they turned to threads of flames wrapping around her body.  
  
Chin Yisou gave out a disgusting laugh. "Now that wasn't totally great, but it was good enough. Anybody up for more?" He asked.  
  
"Coming right up!" Gojyo shouted and charged. Machi went over to her friends and tried to free them from Chin Yisou's magic. Since her power was Earth, it was easier for her to communicate with the vines and free her friends. By that time, Hakkai was done healing Vessica. She was lying on the ground peacefully as if she was sleeping.  
  
"Those guys are as energetic as ever." Hakkai forced a smile as he watched the fight.  
  
"What'd you expect? They'd just drop dead without a fight?" Sanzo snickered.  
  
"But this is my fight. None of you should get involved."  
  
"You're getting on my nerves, Hakkai. They want to fight. Let them. It isn't like any of us is doing this for your sake. They just don't like Chin Yisou." Sanzo shrugged.  
  
Hakkai smiled. "You're right."  
  
The fight didn't take long, but it wasn't easy either. Chin Yisou managed to hurt almost everybody. In the end, Hakkai tricked him into thinking that he was under Chin Yisou's mind control, but at the last moment, he destroyed Chin Yisou.  
  
Vessica woke up the next morning in a cave. She felt embarrassed at what she told Hakkai yesterday, but she couldn't stop herself. She felt as if she was dying that moment, so she had to get it out, to let him know.  
  
"Hey, feeling any better now?" Hakkai's voice interrupted her thoughts. Before she could answer, he sat down beside her. The others haven't wakened up yet.  
  
"Hakkai, about what I said back there, I mean it. You shouldn't let yourself get hold up on Kanan. I know you love her. I KNOW it, but you're taking everything inside. Kanan wouldn't want that. I know that I can't expect the same feeling from you, but I don't' want you to suffer anymore like before. I don't want you to feel anymore pain behind that calm smile of yours." Vessica was surprised that she could keep her composure like that. She half expected those words to stumble over one another because she was always so nervous when talking to the boys she liked. Yet, it was different with Hakkai.  
  
"Thanks for worrying about me. I'm not sure that I'll ever forgive myself for what happened, but thank you." Hakkai said and gently kissed Vessica's forehead.  
  
After breakfast, the girls decided to leave. "We really have to go back now. It's been a long time and Yohina's been gone for three days, but we'll be back soon now that we're not defenseless anymore." Sakura somehow spoke for the four girls.  
  
"Do whatever you want, but the next time we meet, it'll probably be in India." Sanzo answered carelessly.  
  
"Well, good-bye." Sakura bowed and stepped into the already opened portal.  
  
Vessica was the last to go. Before she stepped into the portal, she turned around and looked at Hakkai. "Take care." She muttered and left.  
  
"Look who got a new lover? I have to say. That girl's not half bad." Gojyo remarked as the portal slowly disappeared. Hakkai just smiled.  
  
Two weeks later...  
  
Yohina sat in the cafeteria staring at Kyle flirting endlessly with the girls sitting in his table. Ever since her friends got back, a lot of questions were asked, but lies covered most of them. There were loopholes, of course, but there was no other way to explain. It wasn't like they were going to tell everyone the truth.  
  
When Vessica told her what happened with Hakkai, she wasn't totally surprised compared to when Kyle confessed. You could say that she kind of expected it. She didn't know why, but that was the way it went. She encouraged her friend and hoped that Hakkai wouldn't be too stubborn, but since she was never in love, she couldn't exactly feel the pain Hakkai was in when Kanan died.  
  
As of right now, Machi and her other friends are still teasing her of Kyle. She acted as if she didn't care, but she did, and looking at Kyle so happy and close with those snobs were just getting on her last nerves. She felt like as if she was going to explode any moment, especially when all of her powers were stuck inside of her for two whole weeks.  
  
"Come on, just go and smack him. He deserves it!" Machi made one comment that had some sense, but it wasn't like Yohina dared to make a scene in front of half of the school.  
  
"I really don't understand him now. He does like you, but he acts like as if he didn't have a girlfriend. You two went out some times in the past weeks, didn't you?" Jason said in a matter-of-fact tone.  
  
"Yeah, we've gone out to eat sometimes after watching some movies, and we went to the beach once. Also, since today's Friday, I'm going to his place." Yohina answered carelessly.  
  
"And you don't have a problem with him putting his arms around other girls?" Tyler asked, looking up from his math book. He was studying for a calculus exam in 6th period.  
  
"Of course I do." Yohina grumbled, hating to admit it. "But what can I do about it? I can't just go up there now and scream at him. It'd be stupid."  
  
"That's what I would do if I have such a hot hunk like him, seriously!" Lucy said, full of envy.  
  
"I dare you to make a scene, Yo. If you go up there and get all of this straight and slap him on the face, I'll give you five bucks." Machi said, waving the money around.  
  
"Same here." "I give two." "Five here." Jason, Kevin, and Tyler each waved some money around. With one quick movement, Yohina grabbed all of the bills. Shouts soon came from her friends, but Yohina was half way across the cafeteria.  
  
"Thanks, guys." She mouthed, waved the money around, and blew them a kiss.  
  
Kyle didn't feel Yohina behind him until she slapped him hard on the back. He looked back and so did his friends. They all looked annoyed to see Yohina. Most of them knew about Kyle and her relationship, but still, none of them saw her as one of the popular students.  
  
When Yohina felt Kyle's eyes on her, she slapped him on the face. She just did it without second thought. All the cafeteria became quiet. "God, that felt so good." Yohina thought to herself and suddenly realized the boiling anger that was inside of her that was about to explode, and she let it do just that without stopping it.  
  
"What do you think you are doing?" Kyle hissed at her, trying to keep his voice low.  
  
"That's for flirting in front of me. Who knows what you're doing behind my back?" Yohina's voice slowly became louder like a crescendo in a piece of music.  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kyle acted as if he didn't know.  
  
"Don't act dumb with me! You know perfectly what I'm talking about. You think you're so hot, don't you? You think that I wouldn't ever be able to let you go, don't you? Well, I don't care! You can keep your precious love to yourself. It's over! Don't ever talk to me again!" The words came out of her mouth like a flood. She didn't know that she was this angry. After taking a quick breath, she looked into his eyes and muttered, "I hate you!" Then she ran off as if nothing had happened.  
  
Kyle turned back to his friends, rigid. He knew that he should chase her and explain, but he didn't know what to say. He couldn't tell her that he was in love before. That would only make her angrier and misunderstand him more. He needed to think, as if three years of thinking wasn't enough.  
  
Yohina half expected Kyle to chase after her as she ran out of the cafeteria, but when he didn't, she was hurt more than ever. She didn't think that he didn't care at all. She was a fool, A FOOL! She finally ran out of breath when she came behind the building and faced the track. There was nobody outside. Everyone was at lunch or in class. Sitting down, she tried to stop her tears from pouring out.  
  
Few minutes later, she felt a pair of arms around her. Looking up hopefully to see Kyle, she saw that it was Tyler.  
  
"What are you doing here?" She asked as she wept tears away, but it wasn't like that Tyler didn't know that she was crying.  
  
"I'm sorry. We didn't think that it would hurt you that much." Tyler whispered lightly.  
  
Yohina shook her head and smiled. "You guys were right. I was the fool. Why would Kyle like me? It was crazy. I didn't know why I even believed him. Maybe the truth was that I liked him more than he liked me. I actually wished he would say those words to me. It was all a dream."  
  
"No, don't say that. You're a gorgeous person. You shouldn't look down at yourself. No matter what happens, you are unique. If Kyle doesn't like you even when you like him so much, then he's a fool for not treasuring you." Tyler muttered while holding her in his arms.  
  
Yohina let herself melt into his strong arms. She didn't know why, but whenever she was around Tyler, she felt calm and gained self- confidence. He smelled nice like Kyle, but the smell also reminded her of someone else she knew. "I love you, Hara."  
  
Those words froze Yohina. She looked up and saw Tyler's face looking down at her with his handsome grin, but that wasn't Tyler anymore. "You...you're Zanku. But...but how...?" She didn't understand. Suddenly, she found renewed strength in her body and pushed him away. She stood up quickly and asked, "What, what happened to Tyler?"  
  
Tyler, or Zanku's smile didn't disappear. "I am Tyler. Zanku was just a name I picked to talk to you guys in Saiyuki. You could say that like the five of you, Jason and I are quiet special too." Tyler explained.  
  
"Then...then why didn't you tell me? So that's why you acted so sympathetic..." Yohina muttered.  
  
Tyler suddenly looked sad. "Well, you could say that's true. I was sympathetic with you because I knew the situation you were in, but also because that you are Hara, I guess. When I first found out about everything two years ago, I didn't believe it. I thought that it was a big joke, but when I realized what happened to you that night, I accepted it as fate. I mean, if you try to remember, you know what happened to Hara and why she rebelled. I just want to say that I'm sorry." Tyler explained.  
  
Yohina didn't want to think about anything. She may not had acted like it, but her mind was in turmoil ever since she had returned from Saiyuki two weeks ago. It was hard, with someone else's memory inside of her, not to mention that it was 1000 years old. Yet, she knew it was her past life. Sure, she knew Hara's reason for rebellion, but it hardly seemed to have worth it. She knew that she wouldn't do something that stupid, dangerous, and evil.  
  
"Look, Tyler, don't worry about it. I forgive you. It wasn't really your fault or Hara's. It was the gods'. They should be more open-minded. Instead, they act like a bunch of old farts. I will destroy Gyumaoh completely and free myself from being cursed. I know what the curse is. Thank you for looking over me, but I don't love you. I can't lie about that. I'm sorry."  
  
"Don't sweat it, Yo. After all, you are Yohina, and the woman I loved was Hara. I didn't expect you to love me again after 1000 years. If you like Kyle that much, you should go for it instead of always pushing him away. Why not try apologizing and make up with him?"  
  
"Are you crazy? I'm not going to apologize. It was his fault. After all, if he didn't like me, why did he say that he did? Doesn't he think that he'd hurt my feelings? What does he think my heart is made of, stone?" Yohina half shouted with the anger still burning inside.  
  
The bell rang.  
  
"Go to class now. I'll meet you in the parking lot after school. Don't blame me for anything if you try to dump me. As for what we are going to do, it's a secret." Tyler said and walked toward the door.  
  
Without any other choices, Yohina followed him.  
  
The rest of the day passed with a blur. Nothing got into Yohina's brain. She tried to think, to listen, but nothing worked. Nothing MADE sense. First, what happened during lunch was unbelievable. She didn't believe that she could have enough courage to slap Kyle in front of so many kids. Second, Tyler is Zanku? When did that happen? Even though Tyler and Hara's memory told her everything that had happened 1000 years ago, she still didn't understand. Hara, a puppet of the gods, would rebel and make so many people suffer just because...just because...she couldn't love? It didn't seem to be right. Even Goku, who was born out of a stone, knew what love was, but Hara... Yohina suddenly didn't want to think about it since thinking about Hara was just like thinking about herself.  
  
"It wasn't true." Yohina told herself. "Hara couldn't love. She couldn't feel love, but I...I know it. I could feel it. I know what it feels to love."  
  
The next thing she remembered was talking to Tyler after school in the parking lot. "What are you thinking?" Yohina asked when she saw him.  
  
"Get in the car. You'll know in a minute." Tyler said with a mysterious smile. Yohina didn't buy it. She knew what he wanted her to do even if he wasn't telling her.  
  
"If you want to take me to Kyle's, I tell you it's useless. I'm not apologizing." She commented as she buckled up.  
  
"You'll be going down the same path as Hara if you do not apologize. You like Kyle. That's why it hurts. I'm pretty sure he likes you too. You should give him another chance." Tyler spoke as they pulled out of the school parking lot.  
  
Yohina didn't say anything. The rest of the drive was silent. Tyler didn't say anything else to persuade Yohina. He simply drove to Kyle's place. It was as if he knew that Yohina agreed to apologize at the last minute and needed no more persuasion.  
  
Yet, as they pulled up in Kyle's driveway, Yohina became hesitant. She didn't know how to apologize. The words "I'm sorry" seemed to be so inadequate. She looked at Tyler for support. He just nodded at her with the same calm smile. Taking a deep breath, she got out of the car, went to the door, and rang the bell.  
  
After ringing the bell for five times with no answer, Yohina was glad that Kyle wasn't home. It seemed that she was pretty lucky once in a while even though bad things followed her around, waiting to happen. Almost happily, she got back into the car and told Tyler the news. He didn't seem to take it all that well. Yet, with no choice, they drove back to Yohina's place.  
  
Her face fell when she saw Kyle's car in her driveway. He was waiting for her. She knew. There was no other reason. She looked at the time and saw that the school bus had past 20 minutes earlier. When Tyler stopped, Kyle got out of the car. Yohina thought she saw a hint of jealousy and anger on his face, but she wasn't sure. She half hoped that she wasn't imagining it.  
  
Using her newfound method, she happily jumped out of the car. When Tyler came to her side, she grabbed him and put his arm around her waist. She was so amused when she saw Kyle's stuck-up look at them and turned to face the other way.  
  
Tyler, knowing what was on Yohina's mind, played along. He just hoped that Kyle would be driven into confession rather than to just walk away with anger. That wouldn't be a good sign.  
  
The two of them walked forward and stopped before they bumped onto Kyle. Yohina had a look of surprise on her face. "Kyle! What are you doing here? I didn't see you!" She exclaimed.  
  
Kyle clearly looked annoyed. "Nothing. I just wanted to talk to you, but since you're busy, I'll just leave." He said and turned the other way to his car.  
  
Quickly, Tyler put his hand on Kyle's shoulder and stopped him. Kyle stopped and turned back. "Look, I have something to do tonight. I almost forgot. Gotta run now. Have a good weekend." Tyler said and quickly drove away.  
  
When Tyler's car disappeared from sight, Yohina's hostility returned. Without looking at Kyle, she slung her bag across her shoulder and walked toward the door quickly. Yet, Kyle was always faster than she was. He grabbed her and forced her to turn around and look at him. "Can't we talk?" He sort of pleaded.  
  
"Talk about what? Oh, about how you and some girls cheated behind my back? I don't want to hear about it." Yohina spitted back.  
  
"Please, you know I wouldn't do that."  
  
"How should I know?" Yohina said as she leaned back against the door. There was no where to run now. She felt herself breaking down. "How should I know?" She asked again as her voice trembled and she started to sob. "I don't know anything anymore, Kyle. I thought I knew everything, but now, I know nothing. I really like you, so I didn't doubt anything about what you said to me. But now, how should I know if you're lying or not?"  
  
"I'm sorry." Kyle said and kissed her forehead lightly. They were so close. Yohina could hear his heartbeat and feel his body against hers. It was such a comfortable feeling. "Yohina, I have to tell you this, but I was in love before. In junior high, her name was Hara." Kyle started talking. Yet, at the mentioning of the name, Yohina's name stiffened. Kyle didn't seem to notice.  
  
"We were inseparable. Every one of my friends could tell you that. She was beautiful, just like you are. But she left. After junior high, her family moved to England. She told me that she wasn't going to come back. She broke up with me. It hurt a lot when she left. I guess that was why I didn't want to admit my feelings for you. I was afraid...I was afraid that you would someday leave me, just like she did." Kyle muttered sadly.  
  
"Do you know how much it hurt me to see you with those girls? You experienced love, but I never did. I don't know how to feel. I don't know what feeling is right or wrong. I'm lost, Kyle. I don't know what to do anymore." She sobbed, wrapping her arms around her body. Slowly, Kyle kissed her tearful eyes gently.  
  
"I'm sorry. It won't happen again. I promise." He said and wrapped his arms around her. She was so small compared to him, and they both liked it. Yohina let herself lean on him. She was relieved to have someone to cling onto. He smelled a little like sweat, but it didn't matter. It felt great to have his arms around her so protectively.  
  
His lips touched her eyelids again gently. Then, little by little, it found its way against hers. Unlike last time, she kissed him back this time. Slowly and gently, absorbing everything she felt and savoring the feeling. Now she finally knows what it felt like to be in bliss. She never thought that she would experience such a feeling so soon, but with his arms around her and his soft and warm lips against hers, she was truly in bliss.  
  
"I love you, Kyle."  
  
Well, how did you like that? I was kind of depressed since I didn't get any reviews for the last chap. I hope I have better luck this time. So please give me some reviews!!!!!!! 


	16. India

Sorry for not updating for so long. I'm working on several other things, and I have finals next week, so I'm kind of busy. Well, here's the next chapter. Sorry for the last two, I didn't give any scene for the real Saiyuki characters, but I kind of got wrapped up in Yohina and Kyle's romance, which is an important part of this story, but don't worry, they got my full attention for this chapter.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
I'll Try to update again as soon as possible!  
  
Chapter Fifteen—India  
  
The scream of the demons rang in the canyon over and over again long after the last demon was killed. Yohina watched in satisfaction at the ashes beside her. Her friends gaped at her as if she was some weird creature.  
  
"Wow! You've been pretty worked up lately. What's so upsetting?" Hakkai asked, trying not to look too amused.  
  
"Oh, she's not upset. She's just can't wait to finish this job so she could go back to Kyle. They've been getting along pretty well." Machi teased.  
  
"What are you talking about? I want to move on and not spending another night in this canyon. It's getting on my nerves." Yohina was not a good liar.  
  
"Oh, right. What about the time when you told me that Kyle invited you to his prom? You even went to New England with him to see some colleges. We had to cover for you. Then, if he didn't call everyday, you'd get all mad. After his call, you'd call one of us, telling us 'Kyle this, Kyle that.' Always, you end in the same sentence, 'Isn't he great?' And now you tell us that it's not about him when your face is all red? Are you sure we're going to believe that?" Vessica complained with her arms crossed.  
  
"Oh, really? I really want to meet this Kyle guy now." Gojyo muttered.  
  
All the girls' faces showed disgust. "You get away from my boyfriend. He is not gay!" Yohina screamed.  
  
"Who'd heck are you calling gay?" Gojyo exploded.  
  
"You! Red haired snake!"  
  
Gojyo started chasing Yohina. The others just sighed in embarrassment even though there was no one around to see them. "Quit fighting!" Sanzo hit the both of them with his paper fan. Even as they stopped, they continued to whine.  
  
"Just shut up! If I'm right, we'll be in India once we get out of this place." Hakkai got back to business.  
  
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Yohina exclaimed and ran off.  
  
"Wait! That's a cliff!" Sakura shouted, but Yohina already fell.  
  
Seconds later, Yohina flew back up angrily. "You moron, what's the use of premonitions if you tell me after it's already happened!" She snapped.  
  
"Maybe it's because you act without thinking." Sakura snapped back.  
  
"Oh, you want to start something?" Yohina shouted with her fists clenched.  
  
"Bring it on!" Sakura seemed to change in the past few days. She got so aggressive, especially toward Yohina.  
  
The others had to hold the two of them back from killing each other. Gojyo and Hakkai held Yohina back and almost got burned to crisps while the Sakura and Vessica got drenched stopping Sakura.  
  
"God, I wish I could kill the two of you!" Sanzo shouted while he stopped Yohina and Sakura with his paper fan again.  
  
"Can't you be a little nicer? After all, we are ladies." Yohina said while rubbing her painful head. Two blows so soon weren't what she was wishing for.  
  
"Ladies my ass. What else do you want me to do? Acting like an old woman?" Sanzo snorted. Then his voice and face changed. It looked funny, and when he spoke, his voice was squeaky like a woman. "Children, children, stop playing. It's time for dinner."  
  
Everybody laughed, even Sanzo himself, even though it looked more like a smirk than a smile.  
  
"That's a pretty deep drop. But this is the end of the road. How the heck are we suppose to get down?" Hakkai said as he studied the cliff that Yohina fell from.  
  
"I'm hungry. Anybody got food?" Goku complained.  
  
"Here. I have some buns left. You can have it." Yohina said without looking back at Goku and handed him the bag that had her lunch in there. Goku snatched it and ate without thinking. Yohina was looking into the far sky where there were dark clouds. She thought she saw a dark tower. "So that's the Hotu castle, huh? We're not far now. If I just destroy Gyumaoh, I can be with Kyle without worrying anymore." She thought sadly inside.  
  
"I guess I have to use my powers if there is no way down." Vessica sighed. Everybody turned to look at her. None of them had seen her using her magical powers. Usually, she fought with her sword rather than magic.  
  
Seconds later, everyone except for Yohina was floating off the ground. "Ahhh!" Sakura and Goku screamed at the same time. Vessica just smiled. "Don't worry. You won't fall. Since my power is the wind, I can let you guys float."  
  
"Hey! Why don't I get the special treatment?" Yohina argued.  
  
"You've got wings, Yo. I think that's special enough. Besides, I need a scout in those mists. I've never used this power before. If anything goes wrong and intercepts with my magic, some of us could die. I mean literally. I wouldn't be able to save that person." Vessica annoyed as if Yohina should know this.  
  
"All right. I give up." Yohina said as her black wings came out of her back. Now that she's learned to use it, the wings just appear without tearing up her clothes anymore. It was really neat. She no longer felt pain from her powers, but was grateful for them.  
  
Yohina dived into the mists first, followed by the others. Vessica was the last. She had to guard everybody's back. Even though there was really nothing to be afraid off, there was nothing wrong with the extra protection. At first, Vessica just held everybody in place and waited for Yohina to come back. 10 minutes later, she was back. She looked flushed. They could tell that she might be flying at her fastest speed for the past 10 minutes.  
  
"There's nothing in the way, but the mists get thicker down in the middle. Don't get lost. It's hard to find anything. Let's go." She said and turned back again. This time, she flew slowly, giving Vessica enough time to move everybody.  
  
The whole trip went smoothly. Yet, when they got down to the ground, they were greeted by at least 50 demons, but it was no problem. Everybody got into actions immediately. Yet, when Vessica tried to move, she fell. It was because she had used too much power. As for Yohina, the same thing happened to her. Flying took the most of her powers out of everything she could do. She hated it, but sometimes, it was inevitable. She knew that there was more power inside of her, in the crystal that Tyler had put into her, but awakening those powers meant the end of her.  
  
She watched helplessly as everybody else protected Vessica and herself. She suddenly hated herself. She knew that she shouldn't hate herself, but all of the sudden, she did. She hated herself for not having more powers.  
  
"Yohina, watch out behind you." Goku shouted as he turned around to face her.  
  
The demon's face was almost next to her. Its hand was raised and was coming down at her throat. Those sharp claws could pierce right through her veins. Right at the instant, her body froze. She suddenly felt fear again. It had seemed forever since she felt fear, but she was afraid. She didn't want to die. She had so many things to do in her life. She wanted to be with Kyle and not die because she had overused her powers without thinking.  
  
Yet, before the hand came down, Gojyo grabbed the demon's arm and flung it aside. Goku killed it with his staff. "You OK, twerp? For a moment there you were chickened out, weren't you?" Gojyo winked at her.  
  
"Who are you saying 'chickened out?' Are you stupid?" Yohina wanted to scream back at him, but couldn't, because he was right.  
  
Then, she watched the fight with a new light and realized how important teamwork was. No one, not Sanzo, Goku, Gojyo, Hakkai, Sakura, Machi, or Nuriko tried to take all the demons on by him or herself. They all knew the limit of their powers. Rather, they helped each other to accomplish the common goal. She had been too selfish and worked all by herself ever since she found her confidence and forgot about everyone else.  
  
She looked at Vessica, who was lying beside her, resting even during this kind of time. She trusted the others to protect her. Yohina didn't. That was why she felt so restless all the time. "We're a team. I should trust them." Yohina thought as the fight concluded. Yet, she fell asleep all the same.  
  
That night, they arrived beside Hotu Castle. Everybody had a good rest in the afternoon. Except for the complaints from Goku, everybody else was ready to get into Hotu Castle and finish what they've come to do.  
  
"Let's split in three groups. It'll be faster this way to find Gyumaoh and whoever is behind this. Yohina, Gojyo, Vessica, you three go in from the back. Hakkai, Nuriko, Machi, you guys get in from here. Sakura and Goku, the two of you come with me. We'll go in from the other side. No matter what happens, we'll meet back here in two hours. Got that? We're just exploring today. Don't get too worked up. We'll get back in tomorrow at noon." Sanzo ordered.  
  
"Can we go now?" Goku whined. He couldn't wait to get it over with. He was too hungry to care about anything important.  
  
"Two hours. Now get your lazy ass out of here."  
  
"You're gonna get it for that." Yohina shouted as Vessica, Gojyo, and her disappeared.  
  
"Stupid. She had to alert our enemies." Sanzo thought as he ran with his group toward the other entrance.  
  
Yohina, Gojyo, and Vessica soon got to the back. There were few guards. It seemed that whoever was behind this didn't think anyone would dare to break entry. While Yohina and Vessica were both thinking about how to get in the place, Gojyo wondered why did he have to be stuck with two girls?  
  
"This should be easy. Let's get to the second floor." Yohina said as her wings appeared. Vessica floated as a swirl of wind surrounded her.  
  
"Hey, what about me?" Gojyo cried, not loudly, but enough for the girls to hear.  
  
"Geez, it's not like we're going to abandon you." Yohina said and dragged him up by the collar and the three of them landed on the second floor through an open window seconds later.  
  
"Which way should we go?" Vessica asked as she looked right and left.  
  
"You guys go left and I go to the right. How's that?" Gojyo suggested, ready to get away from the girls.  
  
"No. We're sticking together on this one." Yohina said as she started walking to the right. Something told her that she would find something over there. It was a familiar feeling within these walls, as if she had been here before.  
  
They came upon the first door about five minutes later. They looked at each other, knowing what were on the others' minds. Gojyo nodded and they walked toward the door. When Gojyo was about to open it, Yohina stopped him. She put her hand on the handle and opened it as slowly as she could without making the door creak.  
  
Yet, as soon as the door was fully opened, something like whips came out and grabbed the three of them and pulled them into the room. The door then slammed closed as if nothing had happened. "Shit!" All three of them thought at the same time.  
  
"OK. How the heck are we going to get in?" Machi said after examining the first floor near their entrance. There was no window. They can't get in without making noises. She made that point to Hakkai and Nuriko.  
  
"Then we'll just have to break in. It'll provide an opportunity for the others if we get all the attention." Nuriko answered without thinking. Machi turned to Hakkai for his opinion.  
  
"Not a bad idea, but we should consider how to escape if we make an entrance. Sanzo did say not to make a scene today."  
  
"But it's the only way in. We can't pass through the wall."  
  
"Nuriko, you can make the wall into ice right? Then I can melt them with my powers. Even if someone does see it, we can run before we get discovered."  
  
"Great idea!" Nuriko said and got to work immediately. One minute later, the clay bricks were a wall of ice. Hakkai stepped up and changed his power to fire. He can't do that very often, but if he concentrates, he could do it for a few minutes without wearing himself out too much. Fire and Water were the only ones he could do since they were easy to form.  
  
After five minutes, there was a door for them. The same question faced them. Left or right? With a flip of a coin, which was Machi's favorite trick, they chose left.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, they were back at where they started.  
  
"What the hell? This is gotta be a trick! We didn't even see stairs to the second floor." Nuriko and Machi said at the same time.  
  
"It is. I say an illusion trick. Looks like they know we're here." Hakkai spoke softly. Then, they heard footsteps coming toward them. Almost immediately, they hid behind a wall.  
  
Yet, as the figure came closer, Hakkai thought he recognized the person. When he could completely see who it was, he gasped, so did Machi and Nuriko. They both turned to look at him. At the same time, the three of them muttered the same word, "Kanan."  
  
Sanzo, Goku, and Sakura got in without trouble. Since Goku could stretch his staff at will, they got on the fourth floor almost immediately. "This place is creepy. Doesn't anyone live here?" Sakura whined as they looked around carefully.  
  
"I'm sure somebody lives here." Sanzo muttered with sarcasm as footsteps approached them. They looked for a hiding place, but there was none. Without any other choices, they started to run as quietly as possible away from the footstep. When they finally saw a door, they got in and hid.  
  
The footsteps became louder as seconds passed. They looked out the window on the door and saw that it was Kougaiji with Yaone. They seemed to be in a hurry, or they would've noticed them already.  
  
"Should we follow them?" Goku asked quietly as they got out of the room after Kougaiji and Yaone disappeared.  
  
"As long as you don't get us in trouble." Sanzo snorted. Goku didn't seem to mind and walked forward, suddenly becoming the leader.  
  
They went the way where Kougaiji and Yaone had gone and ended up in a big high ceiling room. The room was only lit by two candles, so the lights were pretty dim. Yet, even with those lights, they could see a female demon's stone statue. She was hanged on the wall by magical scrolls and seals.  
  
"Wow, she's beautiful." Sakura exclaimed.  
  
"She's Kougaiji's mother. She was sealed with Gyumaoh 500 years ago. I guess whoever is trying to revive Gyumaoh left her like this." Sanzo explained.  
  
"That's right. She is the reason I'm fighting you guys." Kougaiji's voice reached them from behind. The room was suddenly lit up magically.  
  
They whirled around to see Kougaiji, Dokugakugi, Yaone, and several other vicious looking demons standing in front of the door. "Hand over the scroll, monk. Don't make this any harder."  
  
"Oh, that's right. I almost forgot. You are only helping that Koushu woman because she promised to free your mother if you do, but Gyumaoh belongs to her." Sakura suddenly remembered. She had been going along with the story so well that she almost forgot everything she already knew.  
  
"Yes, that's right. Now, either hand over that scroll or that purple haired girl."  
  
"Why should we? We are here to stop you. If you want a fight, we'll give it to you." Goku said mysteriously.  
  
"All right. You're asking for it. Let's do this the hard way." Kougaiji grinned. Then, along with his subordinates, the fight started.  
  
Plz Review! Oh, forgot to shout! **I LOVE YOU, MY REVIEWERS**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 


	17. Humanity

Ok, I'm sorry that I didn't explain it to you about the Hara thing last chapter, dream-eater. Tyler is Zanku, and he loves Yohina, but Yohina likes Kyle and Kyle likes her too. About the girl called Hara that Kyle loved years before has nothing to do with Yohina. It's just the same name, but not the same person. So, is that OK?  
  
Chapter Sixteen—Humanity  
  
"What's she doing here?" Nuriko asked with shock just as much as Hakkai and Machi.  
  
"It's a trick." Hakkai said with certainty.  
  
"You sure seem confident." Machi grumbled.  
  
Hakkai gave out a small smile. "No matter how much I love her, I know she is dead. Only the gods can give her back to me, and I certainly know that no one in this place is a god."  
  
"Now that's one thing less to worry about. I was thinking that you might go crazy or something, like you did over Chin Yisou." Machi said.  
  
"I'm over that. Now let's beat her and get going." Hakkai said and was the first to attack. Yet, even if they did get over the emotional discussion, the attack didn't work. It wasn't Hakkai's fault. Actually, when his attack hit Kanan, he went through her, so it seemed that she really was a ghost.  
  
"Gonou, what are you doing? Where am I?" Kanan's spoke quietly.  
  
Hakkai froze. No matter what he said, he still loved Kanan more than anything. She died because he wasn't able to save her, and now, she's here, but he doesn't believe in her existence anymore.  
  
"Kanan, is that really you?"  
  
"Hakkai, don't listen to her! She's not Kanan!" Unlike Hakkai, Machi and Nuriko weren't fooled. They could se that Kanan must've used some trick when Hakkai attacked. They looked at each other and nodded as if they could talk telepathically. They both charged forward, but went through Kanan just like Hakkai.  
  
"Hakkai, help me! They're trying to hurt me!" Kanan shouted and pointed at Machi and Nuriko.  
  
Hakkai was clearly under a spell. He walked in front of Kanan and formed an energy ball. "Don't be afraid. I'll protect you." He said and sent the energy ball at the girls.  
  
Machi and Nuriko jumped out of the way. "Damn! He's completely under her control." Machi grumbled.  
  
"Well, that's why we're with him. You take care of that witch while I distract Hakkai."  
  
"Don't order me around! And how come you get the easy one?"  
  
"It's called teamwork? God, I wish Sanzo is here to give you a good whipping!"  
  
"Shut up and go! He's still blocking my way." Machi changed the subject.  
  
Without saying anything anymore, Nuriko summoned up her powers. Shielding herself from Hakkai's attacks, she advanced closer so she'd be able to get in range. Machi was right behind her. Nuriko sent a full force attack at Hakkai when he was just about to launch another energy ball. The attack hit Hakkai on surprise. He didn't even have time to dodge. Within a second, he was frozen within a mountain of ice, unable to move.  
  
"Hurry up! He'll die in there if you don't finish this in five minutes!"  
  
"I'll only need one!" Even as Machi said those words, a snake formed of stone had climbed out of the floor.  
  
The gentle face of Kanan changed. It became contorted and evil. The face drained of its color and became paper white. The stone snake opened its jaw and shot forward, but only passed through the demon's transparent body again.  
  
"You can't hit me! I'm invincible!"  
  
"Oh really? If that's the case, then I guess I'll just have to crush your soul." Machi smirked and a magical string wrapped itself around the snake's jaw. "This is called the 'Soul String." Whatever it touches, the creature's soul goes to the demon plane, never to return. I hope you'll enjoy your stay with the 'demons' in the demon world!"  
  
The snake attacked again before the ghost demon could make another move. The string whipped itself around the monster. A flash of light occurred. When the light disappeared, the snake and the demon were both gone as well.  
  
"Where did you learn that?" Nuriko interrogated.  
  
"A little birdy told me. Anyway, aren't you going to let him out?" Machi answered innocently and pointed at the iceberg.  
  
"Oops! I forgot!" Nuriko said and with a wave of her hand, the ice disappeared. Hakkai stumbled for a few steps before regaining balance.  
  
"What happened? Where's Kana?" He asked urgently.  
  
"Hakkai, you fell under that demon's spell." Nuriko pointed it out seriously.  
  
"Oh, I'm sorry. I know she's gone, but it's so hard to accept it, even after so long."  
  
"What about Vessica? Didn't she...?" Before Nuriko could finish, an explosion occurred. Half of the roof fell down as they rushed to see what was going on.  
  
"So much for don't get noticed."  
  
"We should get out of here!" Sakura suggested while a strip of water met Kougaiji's fire threads.  
  
"No point. I changed my mind. Maybe we should finish this today after all." Sanzo replied without flinching from all the attacks. Goku was too absorbed in the fight to care about anything at all.  
  
Kougaiji sneered. "You won't get out even if you want to!"  
  
"Just shut up!" Sakura shouted. She had some weird mood swings lately. It wasn't like her to say those words at all.  
  
Two water balls formed in her hands as she and Goku charged at Kougaiji at the same time. As she ran, several images suddenly flashed in her mind. There were vines; they were wrapped around Yohina, blood; a hand going into Yohina's body, pulling out a crystal ball; standing in front of Yohina were Koushu and Dr. Ni. This vision was stronger than all the rest. She immediately had a very very bad feeling about it.  
  
She backed off as Goku and Kougaiji fought on with each other. Her eyes had fear in there. "Sanzo, we have to find Yohina! She might need our help!" Even as she shouted for Sanzo, she could hear her own voice quiver.  
  
"Not now! Whatever you see, we have to get these demons off our asses." Sanzo retorted.  
  
Yet, almost instantly after he spoke, they all heard an explosion somewhere belong them. It was louder than their fight. Everyone stopped and wondered what was going on.  
  
"Now can we go?" Sakura begged.  
  
"Whatever!" Sanzo said, but he and Kougaiji were already rushing out the door to the stairs.  
  
All hostility was forgotten as Sanzo, Sakura, Goku, and the rest of the demons rushed downstairs to see what was happening. When they reached the 3rd floor, other demons were coming from everywhere to go downstairs, so they knew that the sound is not from the 3rd floor. Yet, as they got to the second floor, almost the whole place was filled with smoke. Instinctively, they all headed for the right.  
  
Seconds later, they were at where the explosion occurred and Sanzo was the first one to see Gojyo and Hakkai. "What's going on?" He asked.  
  
"There is our playmate. The demon that's behind everything." Gojyo pointed into the smoke.  
  
Seconds later, when the smoke cleared, Sanzo saw a female demon with blue hair and cold eyes looking back at him. Beside her was a guy dressed in a doctor suit. Sanzo guessed that he must be a demon too, and one that understood the future science for Gyumaoh's resurrection. Before them was Yohina. She was hurt badly from the looks of it. Some of her clothes were torn. She was lying in a pool of blood. That was when he noticed the vines around her. Some were burned down, others still moved around, trying to find a way to get to her.  
  
"If it isn't Priest Sanzo, nice to meet you!" The female demon said with a cold welcoming smile that sent shivers down all the girls' spines.  
  
"What did you do with her?" Nuriko asked and pointed at Yohina.  
  
"She was the one who wouldn't listen to me. I told her that if she doesn't move, then the vines would not hurt her. When she decided to burn the vines, the vines just attacked her." Lady Koushu shrugged.  
  
"What the hell happened here?" Sanzo muttered to Gojyo under his breath.  
  
"We got in the room to see what's in here. That was when the vines grabbed us. It turned out that this demontress, Lady Koushu, and her assistant Dr. Ni is already waiting for us. They told us that they want the crystal that is inside of Yohina, either than, or the scripture you carry. They are both strong enough to revive Gyumaoh. That was when Yohina fought back. She saved us, blocked all the vines herself." Gojyo explained as quickly as he could.  
  
"Hakkai, try to get over to her and heal her. We'll hold off all the rest." Sanzo ordered.  
  
Hakkai didn't say anything and just moved forward. "If you move, we'll kill her." Koushu warned as the vines got closer to Yohina.  
  
"Don't mind her and go. She's got a fire field around her. It can hold back the vines. Just get her out of there." Nuriko said as she walked side by side with Hakkai. Hakkai nodded and started to run. Dokugakugi intervened. Hakkai hit him mercilessly on the chest.  
  
"This is no play time." He said when he saw all his companions looking at him with disbelief. When Dokugakugi fell down, the vines shot up to the air like a tidal wave and dashed forward. Some headed toward Sanzo and the others while the rest went for Hakkai and Yohina.  
  
"Ice Wall!" Nuriko shouted and a whole wall of ice formed between the vines and the Sanzo party. It was too bad that Kougaiji was at their side. His fire burned a hole through the ice wall and soon melted it. The vines came through.  
  
"You asshole!" Goku shouted and rushed toward Kougaiji with hatred. At the same time, some vines grabbed Nuriko and threw her into the air. Luckily, Gojyo caught her, even if the two of them both fell hard onto the floor.  
  
"Don't get near me..." Yohina muttered when Hakkai was about to heal her. He had his shield up so the vines couldn't get through.  
  
"Yohina, it's me. It's going to be OK."  
  
"Don't heal me. I don't need it. Go back with Sanzo and the others. I'm going to be fine." Amazingly, she sat up. Hakkai watched in amazement as all the blood slowly flowed back into Yohina's body through the wounds.  
  
"How...how does she do that?" Lady Koushu watched Yohina in shock.  
  
"It's obvious the crystal inside of her. It consists the power of Demontress Hara from 1000 years ago. The healing is not always usable, but sometimes it works depends on the heart of the user, not the power." Dr. Ni explained.  
  
"That just makes me want it even more. The thought of my beloved Gyumaoh with those powers, he'll never leave me again!" Lady Koushu was happy, in a way. Out of the ground, more vines came out. Yohina saw this first. With a sweep of her powers, she sent Hakkai back to safety, where the fight only consisted of Kougaiji and his followers.  
  
"I can't give you that crystal! It's my life! Now get lost!" Yohina shouted with determination as her wings came out and her whole body is surrounded in fire. That should ward off the vines.  
  
"You think that a little fire can ward off my pets? Look again!" Koushu laughed evilly. Yohina looked and saw the vines turned to metal whips instead of plants. Seeing this, she withdrew the fires, knowing that it's no use against all of the metal. Instead, she dodged the vines as much as she could and headed for Koushu directly.  
  
"Naïve girl! You are nothing compared to the Demontress from a thousand years ago!" Koushu disappeared and reappeared behind Yohina. She may not look like it, but she was a demon of the high rank. Yohina, still lacking in experience, really was not a match for her.  
  
"Longer!" Goku's staff intervened before Koushu could touch Yohina. Somehow, Goku had gotten away from his fight and saw Yohina was in danger.  
  
"Thanks, monkey-head."  
  
"I just saved your life, so don't call me monkey-head!" Goku screamed at her.  
  
"You guys are getting on my nerves!" Koushu sighed. Half of the metal whips surrounded Goku and soon locked him in place. The other half attacked Yohina. No matter how hard she fought them, they kept on coming.  
  
"Yohina, hang on!" Gojyo, Nuriko, and Machi came to her help soon, leaving Kougaiji and his followers to Sanzo, Hakkai, and Sakura.  
  
The three of them worked their way through the metal vines as quickly as they could. "Ahhhh!" Yohina screamed as two vines wrapped themselves around her body. Her wings disappeared from the pain of being crushed. Soon, just within a second of her helplessness, she was locked in the air, just like Goku.  
  
"Now for the rest of you!" Koushu said and with Yohina and Goku out of the way, the living metals went for Gojyo, Nuriko, and Machi. Luckily, the three of them were able to escape back into Hakkai's barrier. Koushu, seeing that the rest of her enemy is locked in place, went over to Yohina. She looked at the girl's face and smirked. "Now my prize." She said and reached toward Yohina's heart.  
  
"No!" There were genuine fears in Yohina's eyes. To everyone's shock, somehow, Koushu's hand melted into Yohina's body. Yohina screamed again as Koushu's hand pulled out with a shining sphere. As soon as the sphere left her, Yohina became unconscious.  
  
The vines dropped her onto the ground and then left her alone. Koushu, with the crystal, went over to Dr. Ni and gave it to him. "You have everything you need now. Go and resurrect my love." Koushu said gently, but dangerously.  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Look, Yohina's moving!" Sakura shouted and everybody turned to look. The battle had ceased, even with Kougaiji. They all wanted to know what was happening to Yohina and what the real meaning of the sphere was.  
  
Sure enough, Yohina stood up slowly. After she stood up, her eyes jerked open. Everybody felt a surge of great power coming from her. The vines stopped moving in the air and dropped dead on the ground. Quickly, a change took over her. Her hazel eyes turned golden like they did once before. Her fingernails grew longer and sharper until her hands became claws. Her face became demonlike, hungry and evil. Her teeth became sharp like the demons. The black wings came out of her back, and she ascended into the sky.  
  
"What's going on with her?" Sakura asked with disgust. She never thought that her friend could be looking like that.  
  
"She's turning into a demon. Isn't that obvious?" A figure appeared behind them. Everybody looked and saw someone they'd never expect.  
  
"Jason!" Nuriko gasped. She never thought that her boyfriend would have something to do with her adventure in the other world.  
  
Jason smiled at her gently. "That sphere inside of Yohina is the source of her humanity. It controls the demon side of her. As you know, she carries the blood of Hara. When Hara was sealed 1000 years ago, that sphere not only contained her power, but also the seal to the demon side of Hara. When Tyler put that crystal inside of Yohina, it controlled the beast, but now that Koushu's taken it out, she's gong to go wild. She's going to be worse than Goku without his power limiter."  
  
"Can't we put that thing back inside of the girl?" Sanzo was irritated. (Too many characters are taking his role as a main character!)  
  
"Yes, but only Tyler can do that. The gods gave him and only him the power to put the sphere back to where it belongs."  
  
"Well, where is he now?" Gojyo snapped.  
  
"Right there!"  
  
Ok, I know I ended this chapter in kind of odd place, but I didn't want it to go any longer. I hope you liked this chapter better since the last few chapters I kind of skipped out on Sanzo, Hakkai, Gojyo, and Goku. Please Review! I hardly got any reviews for the last for chapters! And I'm really sad. cries 


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